Gambling in the US Reaches Record Popularity, New Study Shows

by Kevin Lentz, 4 November 2025

Gambling has officially gone mainstream. A 2025 American Gaming Association study shows 57% of US adults gambled in the past year.

134 million US citizens placed a bet last year. © Bru-nO, Pixabay

Key Facts:

• 62% of Americans say gambling is personally acceptable.
• 74% support legal sports betting in their state.
• 76% believe that Responsible Gaming programs are effective.
• Half of the adults believe that gambling is good-value entertainment.

A new study details what most of us already long suspected: gambling has gone mainstream. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), over 130 million Americans made a bet last year, about 57% of the population, and more than 62% find gambling to be personally acceptable.

Gambling Goes Mainstream

Relegated to just Atlantic City and Las Vegas just three decades ago, gambling is now as common as ordering food.

The spread of online sports betting and online casinos in seven states has also allowed millions of Americans to gamble from their living rooms for the first time in recent years.

What used to be taboo is now just another Tuesday night, and sweepstakes casinos and prediction markets make it increasingly easy to gamble on your phone regardless of location.

Brick and Mortar Still Hold Their Own

More than half of respondents stated that local retail casinos have a positive impact on their communities through tourism, job creation, and entertainment.

Speaking of entertainment, casinos are increasingly seen as full-service destinations and not just a place to play the slots or bet on blackjack. The average age of a visitor at a land-based casino remains 49.6, the same as it’s been since 2019.

Responsible Gaming

Rising popularity didn’t necessarily lead to the belief that there were more problems associated with it, at least not in this study, which found that 76% of Americans believe current Responsible Gaming measures are effective.

There was also an all-time high in the number of people in the survey who expressed trust in state regulators and industry practices. This is always a positive sign that casinos are making a good impression on the general public.

Cultural Momentum

Gambling in 2025 is viewed less as a vice and more as a form of entertainment like any other. As a whole, people reported seeing the industry as innovative, job-creating, and worthy of their trust.

Whether you’re betting the Dodgers on your phone, or playing poker in Biloxi, the numbers say you’re not alone.

With bipartisan approval and increasing public confidence, despite some major scandals, it appears that gambling has found its place in the American mainstream.

For the full report, see the AGA’s American Attitudes Survey 2025, or visit our casino news section for more industry updates.