Gambling is increasingly prevalent in society, but a recent Gallup poll indicates a decline in the number of Americans participating in spite of widespread advertising and exposure to various forms of gambling such as casinos, sports betting, lotteries, prediction markets, and iGaming.
Gallup, a highly-regarded pollster in the US, revealed that fewer adults are engaging in gambling activities compared to a decade ago. The sharpest declines in participation were observed in buying lottery tickets, in-person casino gambling, and participating in betting pools with colleagues or friends.
In 2016, around 64% of US adults reported gambling in the past year. However, in 2026, Gallup reports this participation rate has dropped significantly to just 45%.
The percentage of adults who purchased lottery tickets decreased from 49% to 31%, and in-person casino gambling decreased by half, from 26% to 14%.
“When Gallup first surveyed casino gambling in 1989, 20% claimed to have gambled at a casino in-person. This figure peaked at 30% in 2003 due to the growing number of legal casinos in the US. Subsequent surveys found that approximately one in four Americans gambled at casinos, before declining to 14% in the latest survey,” Gallup stated.
“The decline in in-person casino gambling could be attributed to the rise of online gambling. Even though only 4% of US adults gamble for money online, it is the only form of gambling measured in the survey that has not decreased over time,” the report detailed.
The Gallup poll was based on over 2,200 telephone interviews conducted between June and July.
Has Gambling Lost its ‘Moral’ Appeal?
Advocates for gambling argue that individuals should have the freedom to choose how they spend their money without government interference. Moral concerns have also been challenged, with the gambling industry gaining support in states where religion plays a significant role, like Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee, to legalize certain forms of gambling.
However, as sports betting has gained popularity and new gambling options have emerged, the public’s view of gambling has shifted.
According to a June Gallup report, the percentage of Americans who consider gambling “morally acceptable” decreased from 67% in 2016 to a new low of 57%.
Gambling, Gallup suggests, is losing favor. Participation has declined not only in lottery and casino gambling since 2016 but also in office pools (-8%), parimutuel betting (-4%), video poker (-4%), bingo (-3%), and sports betting (-1% to -3%).
Conflicting Data
The Gallup poll contradicts several recent polls on gambling participation.
The American Gaming Association indicated that gambling participation reached a record high in 2025 at 57%. In 2024, the National Council on Problem Gambling estimated that over seven in 10 US adults were involved in gambling.
Gallup acknowledged that individuals may be less likely to admit their gambling activities in a phone survey compared to an online questionnaire. A parallel online survey by Gallup showed a gambling participation rate of 53%.
Regardless of the exact rate, Gallup asserts that problem gambling is relatively uncommon.
The telephone and web survey indicated that only 3-5% of adults sometimes gamble more than they believe they should.
“Fewer Americans today claim to participate in various gambling activities than a decade ago. Whether this decline indicates a substantial shift away from gambling, reluctance of respondents to admit their gambling habits, or both, is unclear,” Gallup stated.
“If it suggests that Americans are less willing to acknowledge their gambling activities, it might be linked to reduced societal acceptance of gambling or reluctance to appear risky with money when financial concerns are paramount. Nonetheless, the fact that current web estimates are lower than past phone survey estimates provides some confidence in the finding that fewer Americans are engaging in gambling activities now,” Gallup concluded.