Utah holds out as tide of gambling rises in U.S.

Utah is an increasingly unusual and isolated island in a sea of states addicted to gambling money, according to two new, separate reports by Stateline.org and the Pew Research Center.

"States are more addicted to gambling revenue than ever as the lure of easy new money for schools, tax relief and public services has led to an explosion of state-sanctioned casinos, slot machines at racetracks and lottery games," Stateline.org, a news service that covers state governments, said this week.

It noted that 25 years ago, gambling was legal in only three states. Now it said that every state except Utah and Hawaii rely on gambling to help avoid raising taxes.

To show how some forms of gambling have grown, it said North Carolina in March became the 42nd state to launch a lottery. The Pew report added that Americans spent a record $52 billion on lotteries in 2005.

Stateline.org adds that three more states — Wyoming, Arkansas and Alabama — are currently considering adding state lotteries.

Stateline.org said Pennsylvania has approved soon becoming the 11th state to offer slot machines. Pew said Americans spent more than $33 billion on slots last year.

Stateline.org also said Americans may now gamble at nearly 900 casinos nationwide. That includes 455 private casinos in 11 states, 406 on Indian reservations in 29 states and 29 racetrack casinos (called "racinos" ) in 11 states. Pew said they took in more than $52 billion in gross revenues last year.

Stateline.org says at least nine states — Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas — are considering opening their doors to new casino or racetrack gambling.

A survey by Pew found that 71 percent of Americans approve of state lotteries (down from a 78 percent approval in a 1989 Gallup survey).

Also, Pew found that 66 percent approve of legalized bingo gambling (down from 75 percent in 1989); 51 percent approve casino gambling (down from 54 percent); and 50 percent approve off-track betting on horse races (down from 54 percent). A minority of 42 percent approve betting on pro sports (unchanged since 1989).

The Pew survey found that 67 percent of Americans said they bet on some form of gambling last year. In contrast, a Deseret Morning News/KSL poll last year found that only 45 percent of Utahns said they had made such wagers in the previous year.