Problem gambling by the numbers
Published: August 17, 2020
Even those who recognize that problem gambling impacts millions of people may not realize how widespread and damaging problem gambling can be. Take a look at these stats and figures about problem gambling in Ohio and across the United States:
Prevalence:
- 8-10 million adults are problem gamblers in the United States.
- 76,379 Ohio adults are high-risk problem gamblers.
- 919,000+ Ohioans are at risk for problem gambling.
- 25% of compulsive gamblers are women.
Risk factors and coinciding issues:
- 73% of those with gambling addictions have an alcohol disorder.
- 50% of those with gambling addictions have had a mood disorder, most commonly depression.
- 34% of problem gamblers suffer from PTSD.
- 26% of adults with serious depression are at risk of problem gambling in Ohio.
- 1 of 4 at-risk or problem gamblers have someone in their families who has/had a gambling problem.
Negative outcomes:
- $100+ billion is lost in the US every year to gambling.
- $7 billion in social costs (including gambling-related criminal justice and healthcare spending, bankruptcy and more) are incurred in the US each year due to problem gambling.
- 38% of those struggling with gambling addiction consider committing suicide.
- 25-50% of spouses of compulsive gamblers have been abused.
Treatment:
- 14,300+ people were treated for problem gambling in the US in 2016.
- 5,523 Ohioans called the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline in 2018.
- 54% of those callers reached out due to financial problems.
- 1,252 Ohioans were treated for gambling disorder in 2018.
- 80% of gambling addicts never seek treatment.
Youth gambling:
- 60-80% of high school students report having gambled for money during the past year.
- 4-7% of teens display gambling problems in the US.
- 15% of Ohio youth ages 12-17 are gambling, and 3% of them are experiencing negative consequences from gambling.
For more information on problem gambling and access to treatment services, visit the Ohio for Responsible Gambling website.
Sources in addition to BeforeYouBet.org and ChangeTheGameOhio.org:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5370365/
https://www.casino.org/features/gambling-statistics/
https://www.ncpgambling.org/files/HS_Fact_Sheet.pdf
http://adamhscc.org/en-US/ProblemGambling.aspx
https://www.verywellmind.com/ptsd-and-gambling-2797144#citation-3
https://www.ncpgambling.org/files/public/GamblingDomesticViolence.pdf