A new study puts Illinois near the top in a ranking of the most sinful states in the country.
The personal finance website WalletHub compared the 50 states based on several sinful behaviors, including vices, greed, lust and vanity. They determined that Illinois was the 8th most sinful state in the country.
Analyst Jill Gonzalez said some of the categories are tongue-in-cheek, while others have a definite impact on society. She notes that Illinois ranked in the top 10 in two categories.
“One was anger and hatred, so that would have a lot to do with violence and crime, while the other was vanity, which has to do with beauty salons per capita and plastic surgeries per capita,” Gonzalez said.
Many states, including Illinois, have turned to vices to generate tax revenue. Illinois allows sports betting and may give the green light to online casino gambling as well. In 2022, sports betting produced total tax revenue of nearly $128 million.
Illinois leads the nation in the number of electronic gaming devices, with over 40,000 machines at nearly 8,000 locations around the state in 2021, everywhere from bars, gaming parlors to gas stations.
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