Nearly 1 in 5 Arizona adults may already be showing signs of a gambling problem, according to a new statewide survey. The Arizona Department of Gaming found that 84% of adults surveyed had gambled within the past year, while 30% said they gamble every week. Nearly 20% scored in the moderate to high-risk range on the Problem Gambling Severity Index. The numbers come just a few years after sports betting became legal in Arizona in 2021. By May 2026, the state’s 14 licensed operators handled more than $670 million in wagers in a single month. Elise Mikkelsen, director of the Arizona Department of Gaming’s Division of Problem Gambling, said the results caught her off guard because gambling-related problems often take years to fully surface after new products enter the market. She pointed to how easy gambling has become to access, including platforms operating outside Arizona’s regulated system, and said she does not expect the numbers to suddenly drop. One positive sign from the surve...