Statistics about Gambling in USA

Some Details on Gambling in USA

When you think of gambling in the United States, the first thing that pops up into your head, most probably, is Las Vegas. While Las Vegas surely is the most popular city in which to gamble, it is not the only place, as online gambling has come to the rise and made way for gambling from practically anywhere, as long as the laws of the state allow it.
Having said that, gambling in land-based casinos is still very popular. A big reason behind this is that Americans enjoy the full package that casinos offer; it is more of an event where people go for a nice dinner beforehand, and perhaps a club afterwards if the winnings are good. No matter how convenient and lifelike online casinos are nowadays, the new technology of the casino software providers simply can not replace the atmosphere of a traditional casino - the lights, the sounds, the socializing, the sounds of winners screaming, and strangers cheering you on is what keeps people going back.

Who is Gambling?

First of all, how many Americans actually partake in this wonderful pastime of gambling? Well, 27% of American adults (that’s over the age of 21 in this case) visited casinos in the year of 2011. That’s just around 59.7 million people! The act of gambling also is not really anything to be frowned upon as a very high 81% of Americans find gambling in casinos an acceptable practice or form of entertainment both for themselves or others.
With regards to which gender gambles the most, the difference between the two is relatively small. Of all American adult males, 29% of them visit casinos, and 26% of adult females choose to try their luck.

Which are the Most Popular Gambling States?

Gambling is not legal nationwide, but 22 of the 50 states do allow land casinos, although, of course, it is more popular in some states than others. Nevada is the home state to both Las Vegas and Reno, and that makes it the state with the most gambling activity with a whopping 256 operating casinos.  It is also the state in which the most people gamble; in 2011 alone, 51.37 million people enjoyed the lights and familiar sounds of the casinos. Nevada is also the state in which the most money is spent on gambling. Have a look at the statistics below for the top three states:

• In 2011 in Nevada, $10.7 billion was spent by gamblers (tax revenue $865.25 million).
• In the same year in New Jersey, $3.32 billion was wagered in casinos (tax revenue $277.60 million).
• Pennsylvania came in third with a total of $3.32 billion spent (tax revenue $1.456 billion).

What is the Average Spend at a Casino Per Person?

Wise gamblers will set themselves a budget before clicking those buttons, laying out those cards, or choosing good old red or black. It is the clever way to ensure that you fully enjoy your experience and avoid leaving there down and out. In a survey done in 2011 it was revealed that 84% of casino goers set themselves budgets beforehand. Of these 84%:

• 48% budgeted less than $100
• 23% budgeted between $100 and $199
• 11% budgeted between $200 and $299
• 9% budgeted $300 and up
• 8% were not sure or did not answer

What are the Favorite Games?

In the UK, bingo is a very popular form of gambling, however in the USA, the clear favorite is the slot machines. This is true for both online and land-based casinos. Below are the top five games played in casinos:

• Slots and video poker: 53%
• Blackjack: 23%
• Poker: 7%
• Craps: 3%
• Roulette: 3%

Clearly, the slots and video poker games win by a landslide in popularity. There are a number of reasons for this. For one thing, slot machines offer big payouts for very small amounts of bets. Only a slot machine can win you thousands from betting a mere couple of coins. Another reason is the relaxation aspect of slots and video poker as well; gambling is very much seen as a form of entertainment and relaxation, and the lack of strategy that is needed is what is favored. The simplicity of these games is what is enticing. Poker, for example, requires a lot of thinking and skill, but slots are accessible to anyone as you do not need a specific set of skills in order to try it out and win big. In this way it is very much like the lottery. In fact, the only form of gambling in America that entices more people than casino games is the lottery. So it is that idea of spending little, hoping for the best, and potentially getting a massive payout compared to your relatively small initial wager. The animated video slot games are also very pleasing on the eye, and since there is such a wide variety of themes, players have a range of options to choose from that appeal to them personally.