Question of the Day - 13 June 2025

We couldn't find any direct or conclusive evidence that selling plasma to centers in Las Vegas fuels gambling habits. But the connection is certainly plausible.

Plasma donation centers in Las Vegas, like those operated by CSL Plasma, Octapharma, and Grifols, typically pay $50-$100 per "donation" (which refers to what a donor is providing, not that it's provided without payment). New donors often receive bonuses (e.g., up to $900 for the first eight donations at some centers). Donors can give plasma twice a week, potentially earning $100-$200 weekly, which provides a steady, albeit modest, income stream. So quick cash from selling plasma can be funneled into gambling, same as cash coming from anywhere.

However, accounts that we saw reseraching this answer suggest that more donors use plasma payments to cover living expenses, such as rent, utlities, groceries, and gasoline -- in other words, by those in some financial distress. Now, perhaps that distress is caused by gambling beyond one's means, but selling blood in that case would be an antidote for a gambling habit, rather than a goal of feeding one. 

After all, whole blood donation is hardly a harmless pastime. Frequent donations deplete your stores of iron, potentially leading to iron deficiency and eventually anemia. Also, recovery time is much longer than a few days. The Red Cross recommends waiting up to two months between donations. So it seems to us that donating plasma for gambling money would be a somewhat short-lived prospect.

In addition, if Utah is the number-one state for plasma donations, it's further evidence that selling blood frequently is a desperation move, since the Beehive State prohibits gambling of all kinds. 

So, though no statistical data that we could find directly links plasma-donation income to increased gambling, it's not unreasonable to assume that some people, Las Vegans and visitors alike, might view plasma cash as easy money for another trip to the casino. However, that would most likely be a deeply desperate move.