Industry journalist Steve Ruddock picked up on some interesting statistics from the latest annual report of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission released this week, flagging the current results from its on-going monitoring research of the state gambling market.
The research throws some light on the participation rates and preferences of adults in Massachusetts, and this year reveals:
72 percent of respondents gambled in the previous year.
59 percent of respondents purchased lottery tickets.
22 percent of respondents gambled at a land casino.
13 percent of respondents bet on sports despite its illegal status in the state.
In addition, three percent wagered on horse racing, and just two percent gambled “illegally” online.
Over 63 percent of the population were classified as “recreational gamblers”, and 27.5 percent as “non-gamblers.”
The problem gambling rate, always a point of interest in participation reports, increased from 1.7 to 2 percent, with around 7.5 percent categorised as “at risk” punters, a figure that was later revised upward to 8.4 percent.