Americans Visiting Casinos in Record Numbers, Trade Group Claims 90 Percent Find Gambling ‘Acceptable’
Posted on: October 31, 2025, 08:08h.
Last updated on: October 31, 2025, 09:04h.
- The American Gaming Association claims Americans’ attitudes regarding gambling have never been better
- Americans are gambling at record levels as options continue to expand across the country
Despite a gambling scandal that has rocked the NBA and called into question the integrity of professional sports, the American Gaming Association (AGA) reports that Americans’ attitudes toward legal gambling have never been more favorable.
The AGA’s annual consumer survey, conducted by research firm Kantar between July 22 through August 8, reports that a record number of US residents are visiting casinos, and their opinions of the gaming properties are increasingly positive.
Among the 2,000 people surveyed, the pollsters found that more than half of all American adults (57%) participated in some form of gambling in the past year. About 53% of the population, or approximately 134 million adults, visited a casino. Both marks are all-time highs.
The probe concluded that nine in 10 find casinos to be acceptable for themselves or others, and more than six in 10 find gambling to be personally acceptable.
These results underscore a sustainable foundation for the American gaming industry, reflecting strong consumer confidence in a state-regulated market as a safe and trusted form of entertainment,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller.
The Kantar study came with a margin of error of +/-2%. The AGA represents the interests of the commercial and tribal gaming industries on the federal and state levels.
Unprecedented Gambling
It was only a few decades ago that casinos were largely confined to Nevada, Atlantic City, and tribal casinos. Today, some form of legal gaming (casinos, racinos, iGaming, sports betting) is allowed in all but Georgia, Hawaii, South Carolina, and Utah. Georgia and South Carolina, however, do have state-run lotteries.
Commercial or tribal casinos are operational in 43 states, sports betting is legal in 39 and Washington, DC, and iGaming is permitted in seven states.
Americans are gambling and losing more than ever before. Commercial gaming revenue totaled $74 billion in 2024, marking the third straight year of record revenue. Tribal casinos won a record $43.9 billion in their latest fiscal year, the fourth straight year of record revenue for the 243 federally recognized tribes that operate tribal casinos in 29 states.
The AGA findings suggest Americans aren’t upset at losing almost $120 billion a year gambling. The survey concluded that 77% of Americans believe the gaming industry has a positive impact on the overall US economy, 85% say casinos bring entertainment and dining options to areas that might not otherwise be able to attract them, and 86% think casinos increase tourism and bring conventions and meetings to regions.
More than eight in 10 also agreed that the gaming industry produces jobs and investments in the US that cannot be outsourced to other countries, and 82% said casinos create good-paying jobs.
Rosy Report
The AGA-commissioned consumer survey reported a glowing picture of the commercial and tribal gaming markets. The study said 64% of Americans think the industry is committed to encouraging responsible gaming and combating problem play, and almost three in four said they have encountered responsible gaming messaging in the past year.
The study was conducted before the NBA scandal was revealed by the FBI. How the federal prosecution of NBA players and coaches for allegedly participating in illegal insider sports betting and gambling schemes might impact consumer sentiments will be revealed later.
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