TLDR
- A new Gallup poll finds 45% of US adults gambled in the past year, down from 64% in 2016
- State lottery participation fell to 31%, down from 49% in 2016
- Only 7% of respondents reported betting on professional sports, matching 2007 levels
- A parallel online survey found 53% gambling participation, eight points higher than the phone survey
- Prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket face legal disputes over whether their contracts count as gambling
A new Gallup poll shows that fewer Americans say they gambled in the past year compared to a decade ago. The survey found that 45% of US adults took part in at least one gambling activity in the previous 12 months.
That number is down from 64% in 2016, 63% in 2007, and 66% in 2003. Gallup conducted the phone survey between July 1 and July 19 among 1,200 adults.
This year, Gallup added two new categories to its questions. Non-sports prediction markets and paid fantasy sports were included for the first time, and they raised the overall figure from 44% to 45%.
Much of the drop comes from traditional gambling activities. State lottery participation fell from 49% in 2016 to 31% this year.
In-person casino gambling also declined. It dropped from 26% in 2016 to 14% now.
Sports betting numbers stayed low too. Just 7% of respondents said they bet on a professional sporting event in the past year, which is the same figure Gallup recorded in 2007.
That number stands out because legal sports betting has expanded across most states since 2018. Other surveys report far higher participation, including a Siena Research Institute poll that found 27% of Americans have an active online sportsbook account.
Phone vs Online Surveys Show Different Results
Gallup ran a separate online survey this year alongside its phone poll. That version found 53% of adults gambled in the past year, eight points above the phone result.
The gap was wider for sports betting specifically. Gallup recorded 15% participation by phone compared to 21% online. A Pew Research Center online survey found 22%.
Gallup said the difference may come down to comfort. People may be less willing to admit gambling activity to a live interviewer than when answering privately online.
Prediction Markets Blur the Definition
Gallup asked for the first time whether respondents had placed a bet on a non-athletic event through an online prediction market. Only 2% said yes.
That wording leaves out sports events, even though sports make up most prediction market activity. Data shows sports accounted for 83% of Kalshi’s trading volume in July and about 97.7% of Polymarket’s regulated volume.
Prediction market operators argue these contracts are federally regulated financial products, not gambling. State regulators disagree.
Last month, New York sued Kalshi, claiming the company ran a gambling business without a state license and avoided taxes that licensed operators must pay.
Other surveys report higher prediction market use than Gallup’s phone poll. The Siena survey found 15% of respondents placed a sports bet through prediction markets, rising to 42% among avid sports fans.
A Navigator Research survey found 14% of registered voters use prediction markets at least sometimes, with usage reaching 29% among Gen Z respondents.
Web traffic data from Similarweb shows Kalshi’s site visitors are around 71% male, with adults aged 25 to 34 forming the largest group. The New York lawsuit against Kalshi remains active as the legal question over how to classify these platforms continues to play out.
