We know a lot of Florida residents love to play the lottery.
From Powerball to scratch-off, the tickets sold by the Florida Lottery have many holding onto hope the next ticket will be the one.
➤ Florida dominates WalletHub list of best large cities to start a business
But are Florida residents addicted to gambling?
➤ Florida Lottery Powerball, Fantasy 5 results for April 20, 2026
Personal finance company WalletHub set out to answer that question, looking at all 50 states to see which resulted in the most gambling-addicted states in 2026.
Here are the results.
Florida ranks No. 43 when it comes to gambling addictions
The good news is that despite ranking high when it comes to lottery sales per capita, Florida came in at No. 43 when it came to the most gambling addicted states, according to WalletHub.
➤ Did the 2025 ticket price change to Mega Millions yield bigger jackpots?
Breakdown by the numbers are:
What are Top 10 most gambling-addicted states?
“Nevada is the most gambling-addicted state, and that comes as no surprise considering it’s home to Las Vegas, the gambling capital of America,” WalletHub said.
Here are the Top 10:
What states rank at the bottom for gambling addictions?
See role of Florida Gaming Control Commission
The Florida Gaming Control Commission is a five-member regulatory body that “regulates certain legal forms of gambling in the state of Florida and enforces the state’s criminal gambling prohibitions.”
Where are ‘gaming locations’ in Florida?
For a map of gaming locations in Florida, go to flgaming.gov/locations/.
You can see all locations or search by:
Gambling addictions can destroy lives
“Gambling addictions can destroy lives the same way that alcohol and drug addictions can,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst.
“While some people may be able to enjoy casual gambling from time to time, others need to avoid temptation altogether. People with a gambling addiction may find it helpful to live in states where places to gamble are less prevalent and laws against betting are stricter.”
Florida Lottery kicks off 2026 with more than 53,000 winning tickets
“The Florida Lottery kicked off 2026 with a strong start to the year, announcing that more than 53,243 winning tickets valued at $600 or more were claimed by players statewide between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2026, totaling over $353.4 million in prizes,” the Florida Lottery said in a news release.
➤ Walmart shopper claims $25 million from Florida Lottery
“During the first quarter, the Florida Lottery created 52 new millionaires and continued delivering exciting wins for players across Florida, with an average of 890 winners each day.”
How can you tell someone is addicted to gambling?
“It is important to monitor the family’s credit cards and financial accounts, which is easy to do with online access to these accounts through apps and websites,” said Chris Douglas, professor at the University of Michgan.
“One warning sign of problem gambling is unusual activity in financial accounts. These include frequent transfers, unexplained withdrawals, or repeated charges from betting platforms. Losses from online gambling can accumulate quickly, so it is important to catch this early before losses become severe.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, signs and symptoms of compulsive gambling can include:
Gamblers Anonymous, Playwise offer help, hotlines
Organizations such as Gamblers Anonymous can “help people who think they might have a gambling problem.”
“Give yourself permission to ask for help. We’ve learned that sheer willpower isn’t enough to overcome compulsive gambling,” Gamblers Anonymous said on its website.
The Florida hotline for Gamblers Anonymous is 855-2CALLGA (855-222-5542).
Playwise.org also offers a dedicated gambling problem helpline at 833-PLAYWISE, 833-752-99473.
How did WalletHub rank most gambling-addicted states?
WalletHub compared the 50 states across two dimensions, which was broken down into such segments as:
➤ Read the full WalletHub report
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Are Florida players addicted to gambling? List of top states per WalletHub
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
