Key findings:
- 3 in 5 U.S. adults say they have seen an advertisement or sponsorship for online gambling or betting in the last 6 months
- Most think an increase in online betting will negatively impact society, even among supporters of legalization
- One in six U.S. adults have participated in online or mobile betting, with half having done so within the last year
- Leisure and a chance to win big are the leading reasons for online betting
- Cryptocurrency and digital wallets grow in popularity as mobile betting payment methods, especially among younger age groups
Three in five U.S. adults have seen an advertisement or sponsorship for online gambling or betting in the last 6 months
U.S. adults are most likely to encounter online gambling or betting ads on TV, radio or podcast, with 38% having encountered one on those platforms within the last 6 months. Advertisements online (29%) and social media posts (20%) are the 2nd and 3rd-most popular platforms, respectively, for encountering online betting ads.
Men are much more likely than women to have seen a gambling ad in the last 6 months: 70% of men have seen one, compared with only 58% of women. Men are also more likely than women to have encountered one on TV, radio, or podcast (45% vs. 31%), or during sporting events (23% vs. 8%).
Exposure to ads via social media posts is highest among Gen Z (28%), comparable to TV, radio or podcast (32%) and online ads (31%).
- 28% of Gen Z adults saw an ad via social media posts, compared with 22% of Millennials and Gen Xers, and 15% of Boomers
Most think an increase in online betting will negatively impact society, even among supporters of legalization
Americans mostly support legalization of online betting: with 14% supporting legalization in all cases, and 42% legalization in most cases. Two in ten (22%) believe it should be illegal in most cases, and 16% illegal in all cases.
Support for legalization is lowest among women and adults aged 65 and above:
- Only 50% of women say online betting should be legal, compared with 64% of men
- 35% of adults aged 65 and up support legalizing online betting, compared with 60% of 35-64 and 67 of 18-34
Despite a majority support for online betting, only 6% of U.S. adults say that an increase in online betting will have a positive impact on society. Nearly half (45%) say there will be a negative impact, while an equal number are undecided about the effects of online betting (22%) or have a neutral stance (24%).
Among those who believe that online betting should be at least somewhat legal, only 10% believe in a net positive outcome for society. That number drops down to 1% among those who do not endorse legalization of online betting.
One in six U.S. adults have participated in online or mobile betting, with half having done so within the last year
Younger adults are more likely to have placed an online or mobile bet than older age groups:
- 27% of adults age 18-34 have participated in online betting, compared with 21% of 35-64 and only 11% of those age 65 and up
Placing bets on sporting events (7%), card games such as poker and blackjack (7%), and fantasy sports (5%) are most popular among bettors. While most are more likely to place bets by themselves than with others (58% vs 25%), bettors aged 18-34 are more likely to do so with others (34% vs 18% for 35-64).
One in five (21%) bettors are spending more money on online betting now than a year ago, 40% are spending less, and 33% are spending the same amount.
- 29% of women are spending more on online betting this year, compared with 17% of men
- 34% of bettors aged 18-34 are spending more money this year, compared with 14% of 35-64
Leisure and a chance to win big are the leading reasons for online betting
Leisure is the leading reason (59%) for placing bets among bettors, followed by a change of big wins (35%).
- Men are more likely than women to be driven by leisure (65% vs. 51%) and socializing with others (24% vs. 16%).
- Younger bettors aged 18-34 are nearly four times as likely to participate in online or mobile betting than those aged 35-64 due to promotions or incentives (27% vs. 7%).
Younger bettors drive digital wallet and cryptocurrency usage to fund their online betting
Half of bettors (54%) pay for their mobile bets via credit, debit, or prepaid card, while digital wallets are the second-most popular payment method (24%). Crypto is only used by 8%, but sees much higher usage among 18-34 year olds compared to 35-64 (13% vs. 6%), as do mobile payments (30% vs. 19%)
Interest in betting high among frequent viewers of sports and esports
Among those who have never placed an online or mobile bet, 26% of frequent viewers of sporting events are very or somewhat interested in betting on sports, compared with only 4% non-viewers. The number is similarly higher for viewers of esports or competitive gaming, at 38%, compared with only 6% of nonviewers of esports.
Read more about our polling methodology here.
