South Dakota has had legalized gambling for many years. Organized gambling in South Dakota dates back to the old west.

Gambling legal and illegal exists in every state. Here in South Dakota you can find lottery tickets, video lottery machines, scratch tickets, and casinos large and small. If you go online you can wager on just about any sporting evert you'd care to bet on.

Wallethub.com states that “Gambling can stimulate the brain's reward system much like drugs and alcohol can, leading to addiction.”

The gambling problem is more extensive in some states than in others. WalletHub compared the 50 states to determine where excessive gambling is most prevalent.

An example Wallethub gave is “U.S. consumers experience over $100 billion per year in total gambling losses. Individually, a male gambling addict accumulates an average debt of between $55,000 and $90,000 whereas a female averages $15,000. Most cannot afford to pay back what they owe. As a result, gambling addicts develop a high tendency to amass even more debt, suffer from other health issues, lose their jobs, strain their relationships or even commit crimes.”

Here are some of the Most Gambling-Addicted States according to Wallethub:

  1. Nevada
  2. South Dakota
  3. Montana
  4. Mississippi
  5. Oklahoma
  6. West Virginia
  7. New Jersey
  8. Oregon
  9. Illinois
  10. Louisiana

Here is how some South Dakota's neighboring states ranked:

  • 12. Minnesota
  • 17. North Dakota
  • 21. Wyoming
  • 27. Iowa
  • 47. Nebraska

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