Report: More than half of U.S. adults gamble monthly, citing money making and entertainment as primary motivation

While majority agree that most gamblers will lose money over time, half of gamblers believe that in a single hour of gambling they would win money or break even.

PROVO, Utah, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With the advent of mobile betting and powerful advertising campaigns, gambling in America is becoming more accessible and less stigmatized than at any point in the nation's history. It is a regular habit for more than half of American adults, according to a new national survey from the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University. Overall, 55% report gambling at least monthly, and roughly 1 in 8 report gambling every day. Regular monthly engagement remains more common among men, with 63% participating, compared to 48% of women.

The survey also finds that making money rivals entertainment as a reason Americans bet. About 4 in 10 respondents identify making money as a primary motivation for gambling. Among adults ages 18 to 29, making money edges out entertainment, 53% to 50% — a contrast with adults 30 and older, who are more likely to cite entertainment than financial gain, 51% to 37%.

The report, "Gambling With Our Future," draws on a survey of 2,548 U.S. adults examining not only how often Americans gamble, but why they bet, the morality of gambling, what they believe about their chances of winning, and how gambling affects their relationships and well-being. It examines 16 activities, ranging from lottery tickets, casino games and charity raffles to mobile sports betting, prediction markets and high-risk financial trading treated as a wager.

"Gambling is not a niche activity. For many Americans, it has now become a routine part of life, available anytime on their computer or a phone app," said Paul Lambert, Religion Initiative Director at the Wheatley Institute, and co-author of the report. "What is particularly concerning is how many people fail to see the moral implications of gambling. The consequences can reach well beyond the person placing the bet, affecting family members, friends, and others who may never gamble themselves. It also undermines social trust and connection that is so important to flourishing societies."

Overall, 21% of adults say they have been hurt financially, emotionally or in some other way by someone else's gambling, and 39% say they personally know someone with a gambling problem.

When asked about the odds of betting in general, about 8 in 10 people correctly agree that most gamblers will lose money over time. But when the question is phrased in personal terms and respondents are asked about their own chances of winning, a false sense of optimism emerges. Around half of gamblers believe that in a single hour of gambling they would win money or at least break even.

Additional key findings include:

• Young adults report particularly frequent participation. Nearly 6 in 10 men ages 18 to 29 (59%) report gambling at least a few times a week, compared with 34% of women that age. Among adults 30 and older, the corresponding figures are 33% of men and 20% of women.
• Mobile sports betting is especially prevalent among young men. Among men ages 18 to 29, 67% report participating at least once in the past year, compared with 41% of young women.
• Men are also more likely to gamble for higher stakes. Compared to women, men are three times more likely to report having lost more than $1,000 in a single day of gambling. Among those who gamble at least weekly, men are also three times as likely as women to report spending $500 or more per week
• About a quarter were first introduced to gambling by a friend, almost 1 in 6 learned on their own, and roughly 1 in 10 were shown by their father
• Some see repeated betting as a route to profit. About 1 in 5 adults believe the lottery is an effective way to make money, and a similar share believe they could consistently profit if they bet often.
• More frequent gambling is associated with worse mental health. Respondents who gamble more often report more depression, anxiety and hopelessness. The survey does not establish whether gambling causes those difficulties.
• Religious participation does not necessarily mean less gambling. More frequent religious attendance is associated with greater participation across all 16 activities measured, from lottery play and mobile sports betting to crypto trading.
• Only about 4 in 10 adults think "betting is morally wrong and can lead to destructive addiction." But believing gambling is wrong does not keep people away from it. Even among those who do consider gambling to be morally wrong, 71% reported gambling in the past year.

"Our report shows that there is a much greater need for education about gambling odds and that we need to pay closer attention to its consequences on mental health and relationships," said Shima Baradaran Baughman, Woodruff J. Deem Professor of Law at BYU, Distinguished Fellow at the Wheatley Institute, and co-author of the report. "And while religious participation doesn't necessarily shield people from gambling, faith communities can be potential sources of support — both in helping people recognize gambling-related problems and in connecting those who are struggling with help."

The full report can be found at wheately.byu.edu/gamblingstudy

About the survey

The findings come from a national survey developed by Wheatley Institute and fielded by Qualtrics to a diverse sample of 2,548 adults in the United States, including an oversample of young adults ages 18 to 29.2 The sample was balanced through quota sampling on age, gender, race, and income, and the results are weighted for age.

The report was written by Stephen Cranney, Paul Lambert, Shima Baradaran Baughman, Anna Elmer and Jason Carroll.

About the Wheatley Institute
Wheatley Institute engages students, scholars, thought leaders, and the public in research-supported work that fortifies the core institutions of the family, religion, and constitutional government. For more information, visit https://wheatley.byu.edu/ 

SOURCE Wheatley Institute