United States gambling statistics: participation, regulation, and industry data

Gambling industry revenue in the United States

The U.S. commercial gaming sector has grown rapidly since the pandemic-era dip of 2020. In 2025, commercial gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached $78.72 billion, a 9.2% year-on-year increase and the sixth consecutive annual record (AGA Revenue Tracker, 2026). When tribal gaming is included, the total legal U.S. gaming market likely reached approximately $125 billion (AGA State of the Industry, 2026). The industry generated $18.09 billion in direct gaming tax revenue in 2025, up 15.1% from 2024. For comparison, see our Canada gambling statistics.

Online gaming now accounts for more than a third of total U.S. commercial gaming revenue, up from roughly one-fifth in 2022. Sports betting and iGaming grew 22.8% and 27.6% respectively in 2025, while brick-and-mortar casino revenue expanded by a more modest 2.3% (AGA Revenue Tracker, 2026). iGaming surpassed $1 billion in monthly revenue for the first time in December 2025, driven primarily by New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan (AGA State of the Industry, 2026).

How many people gamble in the United States?

According to the NCPG's NGAGE 3.0 survey, 71% of American adults — roughly 185 million people — reported gambling at least once in the prior year (NCPG NGAGE 3.0, 2024). This was consistent with the 71% figure recorded in 2018, following a slight rise to 73% during the pandemic in 2021. Separately, the AGA reported that 41% of the adult population (102 million Americans) visited a casino in 2023, up from 34% in 2022 (AGA Revenue Tracker, 2023).

Sports betting participation has plateaued at 23% despite legalisation in 38 states, suggesting the market may have reached a saturation point where those interested in wagering on sport are already doing so (NCPG NGAGE 3.0, 2024). Online gambling, however, remains well above its 2018 baseline of 15%, settling at 22% in 2024 after peaking at 25% during the pandemic.

Problem gambling in the United States

The NCPG's NGAGE 3.0 survey found that 8% of U.S. adults — nearly 20 million people — reported experiencing at least one indicator of problematic gambling behaviour "many times" in the past year (NCPG NGAGE 3.0, 2024). This represents a decline from the 11% recorded in 2021 during the pandemic, returning close to the 7% baseline of 2018. The NCPG stresses that NGAGE is not a clinical prevalence study but rather an attitudes-and-experiences survey using four self-reported behavioural indicators.

Separately, the NCPG estimates that approximately 2.5 million adults meet the criteria for severe gambling disorder, with a further 5 to 8 million exhibiting some level of problematic behaviour (NCPG NGAGE 3.0, 2024).

Risk factors identified by the NGAGE 3.0 survey include participation in many different gambling activities, gambling weekly or more often, believing gambling is a good way to make money, and participating in online gambling or sports betting (NCPG NGAGE 3.0, 2024). Parlay betting among sports bettors nearly doubled from 17% in 2018 to 30% in 2024, raising concerns about loss-chasing behaviour. Only 39% of Americans view gambling addiction as "very serious," compared with 62% for drug addiction and 55% for alcoholism.

Treatment and help-seeking

Public funding for problem gambling programmes in the United States increased from approximately $80 million in 2018 to $134 million in 2024 (NCPG NGAGE 3.0, 2024), though the NCPG notes the national median per capita funding remains just 35 cents. The National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-MY-RESET, formerly 1-800-GAMBLER) operates 24/7 and is accessible via phone, text (800GAM), and live chat at NCPGambling.org. Roughly one in three Americans is now aware of the helpline (NCPG, 2024).

However, treatment scepticism remains high among those most at risk: 37% of people engaging in risky play believe recovery is unlikely, more than double the rate of the general gambling population (NCPG NGAGE 3.0, 2024). If you're concerned about your own gambling, you can take our PGSI self-assessment quiz — a validated screening tool used internationally.

United States gambling regulation

Gambling in the United States is regulated primarily at the state level. There is no single national gambling regulator; instead, each state operates its own licensing and enforcement framework through gaming commissions or control boards. At the federal level, laws such as the Wire Act (1961), the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (1988), and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (2006) set overarching boundaries.

The landmark 2018 Supreme Court ruling in Murphy v. NCAA struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), returning the authority to legalise sports betting to individual states. Since then, 38 states and Washington D.C. have launched legal sports betting markets.

Online gambling in the United States

Online gambling in the U.S. encompasses two distinct categories: sports betting (legal in 38 states + D.C.) and iGaming, which refers to online casino games and is legal in just eight states as of early 2026 — New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Connecticut, West Virginia, Rhode Island, and Maine (though Maine's market has not yet launched).

Combined online revenue (sports betting + iGaming) reached $27.68 billion in 2025, representing 35.2% of total commercial gaming GGR, up from 19.1% in 2022 (AGA Revenue Tracker, 2026). Sports betting handle for 2025 totalled $166.94 billion, with an average hold rate of approximately 10.2% (AGA Revenue Tracker, 2026).

The top iGaming states by revenue remain New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, where in 2025 online casino revenue outpaced commercial brick-and-mortar revenue for the first time (AGA State of the Industry, 2026). Several additional states — including Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Massachusetts — considered iGaming legislation during their 2026 sessions, though no new states are expected to launch iGaming markets before 2027.

Young people and gambling

The NCPG's NGAGE 3.0 survey found that adults aged 18–34 were the demographic most likely to report problem gambling indicators, with 15% meeting the threshold — nearly double the national average and far above the 2% rate for those aged 55 and over (NCPG NGAGE 3.0, 2024). The AGA has also noted that the average age of casino visitors has been declining steadily, dropping to 42 years in 2023, nearly eight years younger than the average a few years prior (AGA Revenue Tracker, 2023).

The legal gambling age varies by state: 21 is required to enter casinos in most states (including Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania), while 18 is sufficient in some states for lottery purchases and pari-mutuel betting. All legal sports betting requires users to be at least 21.

Gambling harm and support

Gambling disorder is recognised by the American Psychiatric Association in the DSM-5 as a behavioural addiction. Research consistently links problem gambling to financial distress, relationship breakdown, depression, anxiety, and elevated suicide risk. Despite growing awareness, only about 8% of those meeting criteria for compulsive gambling ever seek treatment (NCPG, 2024).

Support services in the United States include the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-MY-RESET), available 24/7 by phone, text, and live chat; the National Association for Problem Gambling state affiliates; Gamblers Anonymous meetings nationwide; and state-funded counselling programmes. Funding levels vary enormously by state — some allocate no dedicated funding at all, while others have established robust treatment networks.

For further guidance on recognising and managing gambling-related harm, visit our responsible gambling hub.