Poll finds US gambling participation has fallen 19% since 2016

Charlotte Capewell

18 August 2026 at 7:20am UTC-4

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A recent poll from analytics and advisory company Gallup found that fewer US adults are partaking in gambling than a decade ago, with 45% of adults reporting to have gambled in the last year compared to 64% in 2016.

In comparison, Gallup’s earlier studies, dating back to 2003, generally found that approximately two-thirds of adults had participated in gambling.

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Leading up to the results, Gallup conducted interview polls between 1 June and 19 July with 2,201 respondents aged 18 and over. Web-based surveys were conducted between 1 June and 15 June, with 2,043 respondents aged 18 and over.

According to the results, women and younger generations pushed down the trend, with women less likely to gamble than men at 40% compared to 49%. Results indicated that 35% of women between ages 18 and 49 were the least likely to gamble.

Participation declined across almost every gambling activity included in the poll. The largest drop was recorded among adults who had purchased a state lottery ticket, falling from 49% in 2016 to 31% in 2026.

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Professional sports betting dropped from 10% in 2016 to 7% in 2026, while betting on college sports declined from 5% to 4% over the last decade.

However, internet gambling increased from 3% to 4%, the only category to increase apart from fantasy sports and prediction markets, which both had no data in 2016.

The increase in internet-type gambling comes as more states launch regulated online gambling markets in the US, particularly for sports betting but also encompassing icasino. So far, only seven states offer online gambling, with Maine set to be the eighth when it’s officialized next year.

Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.

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The Backstory

A decade of expansion meets a cooler public mood

The latest Gallup findings land at a complicated moment for the U.S. gambling industry. Since the Supreme Court cleared the way for states to legalize sports betting in 2018, gambling has become more visible, more mobile and more deeply tied to professional sports, media and technology. Yet the poll suggests broader participation has moved in the opposite direction, falling to 45% of adults from 64% in 2016.

That decline does not mean the gambling market has shrunk in a simple way. Legal sports betting revenue has surged in many states, online casino markets have matured where allowed and operators have invested heavily in customer acquisition. But Gallup’s data points to a distinction that matters for policymakers and investors: higher revenue from active customers does not necessarily translate into broader public participation.

The trend also arrives as gambling debates are shifting from legalization to saturation. States that once focused on capturing tax revenue are now weighing the social and political costs of expanded access. The poll’s sharp drop in lottery participation, alongside only modest reported increases in internet gambling, indicates the change is not confined to one product. It suggests a broader reordering of how Americans engage with gambling, including who opts out.

Sports betting’s political honeymoon has faded

The legalization wave that followed the 2018 Supreme Court ruling initially benefited from bipartisan arguments around tax revenue, consumer protection and the migration of offshore betting into regulated markets. Nearly 40 states and Washington, D.C., now allow some form of legal sports wagering. But recent polling has shown that public support is not keeping pace with market expansion.

A separate survey found that sports betting supporters are in the minority, with 47% of registered voters opposed to legalized sports wagering and 31% in support. The opposition cut across party lines, undercutting the assumption that gambling expansion is mainly a partisan issue. It also showed a large bloc of undecided voters, a warning sign for operators and leagues that have relied on mainstreaming the product through advertising and broadcast integrations.

Those findings help explain why Gallup’s sports-betting figures may look muted despite the industry’s rapid rollout. Participation in professional sports betting was reported at 7%, down from 10% in 2016, while college sports betting declined to 4% from 5%. The comparison is striking because sports betting was far less available legally in 2016. One possible explanation is that legalization has concentrated activity among dedicated bettors while leaving many casual adults uninterested or uneasy.

State-level resistance has reinforced that interpretation. Polls in Wisconsin and Massachusetts showed majority opposition to legal sports betting, according to the earlier report. Even in states where wagering is legal, legislators and regulators have faced pressure over advertising volume, college athlete harassment and problem gambling resources. The public debate is no longer only about whether betting should be legal. It is increasingly about how much gambling exposure is acceptable in daily life.

Prediction markets add a new front

The boundaries of gambling have also become less clear as prediction markets expand. Platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket allow users to trade contracts tied to events, from sports to politics to government decisions. Supporters frame them as financial exchanges that aggregate information. Critics argue they resemble betting and raise integrity concerns, especially when tied to elections or official acts.

Recent polling showed U.S. adults are wary of the category. A POLITICO/Public First survey found broad resistance to election-related contracts, with 44% saying betting on election outcomes should be unlawful. The same report found that adults were opposed to election betting on prediction markets, even as younger respondents showed more willingness to try the products.

That generational split is important in light of Gallup’s findings. Younger adults and women were among the groups pulling down overall gambling participation, with women ages 18 to 49 the least likely to report gambling. At the same time, younger adults appear more open to newer formats such as prediction markets, even if overall adoption remains limited. This creates a paradox for the industry: the next generation may not be replacing older gambling habits with the same products, but it may experiment with adjacent forms that regulators have not fully categorized.

The stakes are substantial. Bloomberg analysts cited in the prediction-markets report projected political contracts could reach $266 billion in trading volume by 2030. If that growth materializes, it will bring gambling-style risk into arenas that are more politically sensitive than casino games or sports. The public’s skepticism toward election contracts could become part of a wider backlash against betting products that appear to extend into civic life.

Online growth remains narrow but consequential

Gallup’s poll showed internet gambling rising to 4% from 3%, the only established category in the survey to post an increase. That may appear small given the billions of dollars generated by digital sports betting and online casino operators. But the limited increase reflects the structure of the U.S. market: online casino gambling remains legal in only a handful of states, while sports betting access varies by jurisdiction and product type.

For operators, the modest national participation rate cuts both ways. It shows room for growth if more states authorize online casino games or mobile wagering. It also suggests that availability alone may not overcome consumer hesitation. The industry has already seen that legal access, bonus offers and advertising can drive revenue from existing bettors without necessarily broadening the customer base to the levels seen in lottery participation or casino visitation.

The product mix is also changing. Betting markets are extending into women’s sports and niche events as operators seek new inventory and less mature audiences. Abelson Sports’ move to supply goalscorer pricing for the National Women’s Soccer League reflected rising betting interest in women’s soccer and the league’s growing media profile. The company said it saw demand from sportsbook partners, and the expansion followed a broader rise in wagering tied to women’s competitions. The development showed how suppliers are trying to broaden engagement through new sports, even as polling shows general gambling participation softening.

That approach carries opportunity and risk. Women’s sports have gained audience share and commercial investment, making them attractive to sportsbooks. But Gallup’s finding that women are less likely than men to gamble underscores the challenge of assuming that sports fandom automatically converts into betting participation. Operators may need to balance market expansion with a more careful approach to audience trust.

Industry leadership adapts to a tougher environment

The changing public mood has implications beyond operators and regulators. It also shapes the kind of leadership the gambling industry needs. As markets mature and scrutiny rises, companies are emphasizing compliance, responsible gambling, communications, product discipline and community engagement. Those priorities are visible in industry efforts to highlight executives who can navigate growth without ignoring public concerns.

Global Gaming Women and CDC Gaming recently announced the latest 10 Women Rising in Gaming honorees, recognizing leaders from suppliers, resorts and tribal gaming enterprises. The program, run with CDC Gaming, focuses on women who have advanced through an industry that is both expanding and becoming more complex. The honorees’ roles in communications, people operations, marketing strategy and resort leadership reflect the breadth of skills now needed as gambling companies confront regulatory pressure and shifting consumer behavior.

The selection followed an earlier call for candidates, when nominations opened for the 2025 class. The criteria emphasized achievement, leadership, impact, resilience, community engagement and consistency. Those themes align with the industry’s current challenges. Companies need leaders who can manage growth while responding to concerns about advertising, underage exposure, problem gambling and public trust.

That context makes the Gallup poll more than a snapshot of consumer habits. It is a signal that the industry’s next phase may be defined less by legalization wins and more by legitimacy. Gambling is more accessible than it was a decade ago, but fewer adults say they participate. The gap between market expansion and public participation will shape state debates, investor expectations and operator strategy. For an industry built on growth, the harder task may now be persuading a skeptical public that more access is worth the trade-offs.