The extent to which gambling is practiced for recreation in the U.S. is unparalleled among recreational pursuits yet the extent to which this activity is formally recorded remains unclear. Official records are dispersed throughout numerous state gaming regulatory authorities. The U.S. government collects very little direct information about gaming activity, with varying estimates of participation based on the wording used when asking the questions in surveys. While the lack of centralized data collection complicates analysis; the combination of official records by state gaming authority, private sector gaming research, and academic surveys provide an impressive amount of detail about American gambling participation, spending, demographics and trends going into 2026.

The Headline Numbers: Participation at a Glance

Approximately 85 percent of adult Americans have gambled sometime during their lives: a number supported by numerous decades of surveys. Participation rates from current year (or, how many people gamble within the last twelve months) run approximately 60 – 65 percent of all adults when we include all types of gambling.

The 60-65 percent includes everyone – from the one time player (the person who purchased a $1 lottery ticket in January) to the frequent player (daily sports wagerer; wagers on each NFL team). While broad definitions of participation are essential for developing general statistics as headlines, detailed analysis of markets can be accomplished through greater segmentations.

Estimated US gambling participation by type (2025-2026):

Gambling Type	Est. Active Participants	% of Adult Population	Primary Channel
Lottery (all formats)	~113 million	~43%	Retail / mobile app
Casino (land-based)	~52 million	~20%	In-person
Online casino (legal states)	~9 million	~3.5%	Mobile / desktop
Sports betting (legal, online)	~38 million	~14.5%	Mobile app
Sports betting (retail)	~8 million	~3%	In-person
Poker (all formats)	~15 million	~5.8%	Live / online
Horse racing	~6 million	~2.3%	ADW / in-person
Social/sweepstakes casino	~25 million	~9.6%	Mobile / desktop
Charitable gaming (bingo, raffles)	~35 million	~13.5%	In-person / online

Total Gambling Spend: Where Americans Put Their Money

The total U.S. spent on gambling – defined as GGR or the aggregated loss of gamblers – reached $130 billion in 2025 for both legal forms of gambling. Since 2019 this number has increased by nearly 45 percent due primarily to the expansion and growth of legalized online sports wagering and less so, expanded legalized online casino wagering.

US gross gaming revenue by segment (2025 estimates):

Segment	Est. GGR (2025)	YoY Change	5-Year Trend
Commercial casinos (land-based)	~$48B	+3%	Stable/modest growth
Tribal gaming (all formats)	~$41B	+4%	Steady growth
State lotteries	~$27B	+2%	Flat to modest growth
Online sports betting	~$13B	+22%	Rapid growth
Online casino (iGaming)	~$8.5B	+28%	Rapid growth
Horse racing (all channels)	~$1.8B	-3%	Slow decline
Other (charitable, etc.)	~$2B	+1%	Stable
Total	~$141B	+8%	Strong growth

The combined size of the two online segments – namely, sports betting and iGaming – account for roughly less than sixteen percent (15.9%) of the overall GGR from all gaming segments, however both online segments are currently growing at a rate that is four to ten times larger than each of the remaining gaming segments. Therefore, if these rates of growth continue as they are now, online gaming in the U.S. will generate greater than thirty billion dollars per year in annual gross gaming revenue (GGR) prior to 2030 and significantly earlier than this date if either New York and/or Texas and/or one or more additional large states permit iGaming within those jurisdictions.

Who Gambles: Demographics in Detail

Demographic demographics (age, income, education, etc.) are linked to gambling behaviors in many ways, which have big impacts on how gambling is marketed, regulated by government and affects public health.

Age

There is a lot more going on with how people gamble and their age than you might think. Historically older adults (55+), are typically the most frequent visitors to land based casinos; they also tend to visit for longer periods and generate the largest amount of revenue at slot machines.

While some of those dynamics are being turned upside down by online gaming, the base demographics of sports betting show a much younger profile. Online sports betting tends to attract a slightly older (21-44) but still young male audience and since 2018 that demographic’s gambling rate has increased at a greater percentage rate than any other age group. This trend is particularly evident among the 25-34 year old demographic which exhibits both the highest levels of sports betting engagement as well as the quickest adoption of legal state online casino offerings.

Some key findings related to age from 2025 survey data include:

Adults 21-34 exhibit the highest level of sports betting participation. Approximately 32 percent report that they have placed a wager in the last 12 months.

Adults 35-54 exhibit the highest frequencies of visits to land based casinos. In addition, it was found that this demographic exhibited the greatest potential for cross-selling into online casino products.

Adults 55+ exhibit the highest participation rates in lottery games. They also reported lower rates of adopting internet gambling and higher average amounts spent at each visit to land based casinos.

Adults 65+ are most likely to describe themselves as “not a gambler,” however, they report high levels of participation in both lottery games and land based casino activities.

Gender

Historically, men had a higher rate of sports wagering and poker play than did women. Women made up the majority of both slot machine and lottery participants. However, with the emergence of Internet gambling, gender-based disparities may be decreasing. The proportion of female players for online casinos in regulated U.S. jurisdictions grew from about 28% in 2020 to approximately 38% today.

Online Sports Betting is also heavily skewed toward males; roughly 72% of all U.S. online sports bettors report being male. As such, this skews every aspect of the sports betting product development process (product features), marketing and content strategy.

Income and Education

While the general assumption may be that gambling activity is greater for lower-income Americans, data indicates that gambling activity is indeed higher for middle-income Americans (Household Income). In terms of the amount of money spent per year or at least participating in various types of gambling activity, household incomes of $50,000-$100,000 have the highest rates of participation in most gambling types. While very-low income households have lower overall participation rates in gambling, they tend to spend a larger portion of their discretionary income when they do engage in gambling; this is why we get the greatest public health concerns from this particular group.

Interestingly, education levels correlate somewhat differently with different forms of gambling. Adults who completed college are more likely to engage in betting on sports and playing poker. Both of these games are generally considered to require some form of “skill” (analysis), as well as to offer an opportunity for social interaction. The less formally educated adult population exhibits higher levels of both lottery and slot machine activity. Again, these patterns represent general trends rather than hard-and-fast rules and will be impacted by such factors as marketability, social environment, accessibility, etc., as much or more than any underlying propensity.

Geography

Regional differences in gambling patterns can be attributed to an aggregate of how legal access to gambling is perceived by people in their culture, and their economic conditions.

The Northeast has the greatest total amount of money spent on gambling per capita in the U.S., primarily because it is home to some of the most densely populated areas with casinos. Additionally, NJ, PA, and CT are two of three states where sports betting (with online platforms) is currently operational.

The Midwest has an abundance of both Tribal Casinos and Commercial Casinos that offer Sports Betting. However, I-Gaming (online gaming), which was legalized as part of a bill that allowed for expanded gaming, including sports betting, at Ohio State Racing Tracks, remains underdeveloped. The South is a different story. Lottery games dominate this region. Only Tennessee, Virginia and other emerging markets allow regulated sports betting. While there is a growing trend towards expansion, many residents continue to engage in Offshore Betting Activities.

The West Coast is dominated by Nevada, while Colorado and Arizona have both developed functional Sports Betting operations. California continues to operate without I-Gaming laws and therefore skews the overall image of the west coast.

The Online Gambling Shift: Measuring the Migration

The transition of gambling from traditional brick-and-mortar establishments to internet based forms of gambling represents the most significant shift in the United States’ overall gaming landscape during the last six years. The reason for this change isn’t because American gamblers are wagering more in total. Participation in gambling hasn’t increased significantly. Instead what has happened is that a greater proportion of gamblers are placing wagers through phone apps and other technology as opposed to visiting a physical establishment.

States that offer legal online sports betting and online iGaming (casino games) see:

• Approximately 90% of their sports betting handle placed via online platforms.
• Online platforms account for approximately 75% of the total gross gaming revenue when sports betting and iGaming are added together.
• A rising percentage of poker income; (i.e. online poker generates more money than does live poker in states where both exist).

Land-based casino operators will certainly be impacted by this shift, however the impact won’t likely be devastating – at least not for now. Data related to casino visitation indicates that online gambling has not resulted in a dramatic loss of in-person visitors in states where both types of options exist. Those gamblers who enjoy the social aspect of casinos and the entertainment value associated with them still come to gamble. What has changed is that the mobile-first gambler – one who has never developed the habit of regularly visiting a casino – now has access to a legal digital option that captures some of the spending they would otherwise have sent offshore or spent nothing on.

Offshore gambling is the most direct threat. Historically estimates suggest that U.S. residents spend anywhere from $10-$15 billion annually on offshore gambling. While there has clearly been a decline in offshore spending since many states began offering legal alternatives, the offshore gaming industry remains large – especially in those states which do not allow online gaming and also among high-stakes sports bettors who can obtain higher limits and better accounts with offshore bookmakers.

Lottery: The Overlooked Giant

Discussion about U.S. gambling has historically been centered around two gambling formats – Sports Betting & Casinos. However, there exists an additional gambling format in the United States that has seen significant growth and has become one of the most democratically distributed forms of gaming in America. Lotteries can be found in 45 states throughout America. They produce Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR), which is comparable to that produced by commercial casinos as a whole.

• Annual U.S. lottery ticket sales amount to over $105 billion
• Net proceeds from lotteries to states (following payouts of winnings to customers and costs of administering the game) total approximately $27 billion annually
• Jackpot events such as Powerball or Mega Millions jackpots exceeding $500 million will create spikes in participation among all demographics nationwide
• Instant scratch off tickets represent approximately 65 percent of the gross gaming revenue (GGR) generated by lotteries; draw games (state lotteries and Powerball/Mega Millions) comprise the balance of GGR
• Mobile applications allowing consumers to buy lottery tickets online have significantly increased access to this type of gaming. Currently 15 states allow full online purchase of lottery tickets.

Lottery Games are also the types of gaming with the least favorable odds for players. The expected return for lottery ticket purchases – the average payout made on each dollar placed at risk – is typically 50-60 cents. Compare that to 92-96 cents for slot machine wagers and 98+ cents for sportsbook straight bet wagers. Overall, lottery players are the worst compensated group of gamblers in the U.S. system – and this fact is masked by the widespread cultural acceptance of buying lottery tickets and the large publicity surrounding major jackpot wins.

Gambling Spend as a Share of Consumer Expenditure

When we consider the size and limitations of gambling’s role within the larger context of consumer spending, it becomes clear that there is no doubt about the impact of gambling; however, there is also little question about how small a portion it really is of our total economy. U.S. Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) for all forms of gambling was around $141 Billion last year. This amount represents slightly less than half of one percent (.5%) of the total United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is slightly more than what American consumers spend each year on pet-related products ($147 B). Gambling GGR is roughly equal to the sum of what Americans spend each year on music ($1.9 B), books ($7.8 B) and podcasting ($2.6 B). Finally, U.S. gambling GGR is just over two times greater than the total U.S. box office gross for movies in a given year.

While the above numbers demonstrate that gambling has some economic significance, when compared with other industries, it does not appear to be nearly as large or powerful as the industry likes to claim in their advertising. Instead of being an economic powerhouse, gambling can best be described as one of many large leisure categories.

One reason why gambling may have such a large “footprint” politically and through regulation, while having relatively limited “economic footprint”, is because of the number of people who view it as morally wrong or socially unacceptable.

Key Takeaways: What the Numbers Mean

The gambling statistics for the United States as they relate to the U.S. gambling market (as of 2026) provide a clear picture of a mature, evolving gaming market moving into a new technology-driven era:

1. S. participation rates for gambling are very high, but there is low levels of active gambling participation. The vast majority of Americans participate in some form of gambling from time-to-time. Only a fraction of American gamblers account for the lion’s share of Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR).
2. iGaming has clearly won the battle for consumer access to wagering products. Within several years after it becomes available, digital wagering products capture more than 70% of all wagers made in every jurisdiction that authorizes them.
3. Sports Betting is a large sector in terms of number of participants, however it produces less revenue than the Lottery. By participant counts and GGR, the Lottery remains the foundation of the U.S. gaming industry.
4. Demographically speaking, younger, more ethnically and racially diverse consumers are now entering the gaming market primarily through sports wagering and iGaming products and are altering the demographics of a gaming industry historically dominated by older White casino customers.
5. There continues to exist a funding gap between the size and scope of the U.S. gaming economy and its spending on problem gaming prevention. This represents one of the most obvious failures of the current regulatory structure regarding the provision of problem gaming resources.

As such, the future of the U.S. gaming statistics will depend upon what happens with regard to each of the approximately half-dozen major jurisdictions in the United States that have yet to adopt regulation (i.e., NY on iGaming; TX on Sports Wagering; CA on both). Once these jurisdictions do enter regulated markets, their inclusion will make many of the numbers contained in this report appear small compared to what will likely follow.

All figures in this report represent estimates based on state gaming control board data, industry research, and academic survey studies. They are intended for informational and analytical purposes only.