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Study: Nearly 1.8 million Iowans gambled last year

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September 16th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Nearly 1.8 million Iowa adults gambled last year, according to a study released Tuesday by state health officials. The data means the percentage of adults who gamble is up nine percent since 2011, according to the state Department Public Health.

The study, prepared by the University of Northern Iowa Center for Social and Behavioral Research, also estimates about 8,000 adults in the latest figure could be “problem” gamblers. Symptoms include the need to gamble with larger amounts of money.

The report concludes 77.8 percent of Iowans gambled during the past 12 months. That’s a jump from 68.9 percent in 2011. The most common forms of gambling were lottery tickets, raffle tickets, scratch and pull-tabs, slot machines and card games played outside a casino.