More Americans are Betting on Sports. Over Half Report Chasing Losses: Poll

Over a quarter (27%) of all Americans and more than half of men 18-49 (52%) have an active online sports betting account, according to the latest in a trio of polls conducted by the Siena Research Institute (SRI) in collaboration with St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School of Communication. The Annual Sports Fanship Survey also found that of those bettors, over half (60%) said they’ve chased a losing bet to recoup losses. 

Overall, the results show steady US sports betting growth: just 22% of Americans had active accounts in 2025, and only 19% in 2024. Still, among those with an account, the share that actually placed is the same as in 2025 (83%). More granularly, 22% of all Americans and 46% of men aged 18-49 reported being active bettors.

“The results show that online sports betting remains an active part of life for a significant portion of Americans,” SRI Director Don Levy said in the release.

“Since we began asking respondents about online sports betting in 2024, there has been a steady rise in those who say they have an active account – from about one-in-five to now one-in-four – and the share of respondents who bet on these platforms has grown just as much – from seventeen percent of Americans in 2024 to twenty-two percent in 2026.”

More Online Betting, More Problems

The joint research team also found that as participation has grown, so have the risks.

The poll, which surveyed 3,084 people from across the US, revealed a pattern of slight increases across several negative gambling outcomes. 

Fortunately, the majority of bettors said they bet because it’s entertaining (92%) and makes watching games more interesting (89%). But for others, making a wager is more of a compulsion than a hobby. 

Eighty-five percent of study participants reported more vulnerable behavior, saying they wagered “because they thought they could make money.” Others (83%) said they enjoyed betting on parlays, futures, or other bets “that pay a lot more than you bet” when you win.

A majority of respondents (63%) also said they’d bet $100 or more in one day (up 7 percentage points over 2025). Further, 31% admitted being confronted about their use of online sportsbooks, reflecting a substantial jump from the year before (23%). And 27% reported lying about the extent of their betting behavior.

Likewise, a significant share of bettors said they bet more than they should (42%), and that they felt bad or ashamed after losing a bet (43%). Finally, 15% of bettors said they called a problem gambling Helpline or sought other support (up from 9%).  

Of all participants, 22% knew someone who has, or had, a problem with online sports betting – up from 16% in 2025.

Americans Want Gambling Regulation, Guardrails

Despite Americans’ growing acceptance of online sports betting, there’s concern about the societal risks associated with online gambling.

Of those polled, 50% said they think sports betting should be legal in all 50 states. But legality aside, Americans overwhelmingly want regulation. 

A growing majority (67%) want the federal government to “aggressively regulate” online sports betting to protect customers from compulsive gambling. Most respondents (74%) consider allowing people as young as 18 to wager on sports a serious issue, with 69% of those aged 18-34 sharing this view. Meanwhile, 48% think sports analysts’ gambling mentions are bad for sports, and 53% want to ban sportsbook advertising during broadcasts.

Sports integrity is another hot-button issue. Overall, 56% of study participants said online betting will corrupt organized sports. 

Fifty-one percent say the recent NCAA rule changes permitting players and department staff to bet on professional sports are a bad idea. Further, a vast majority consider the alleged NBA insider betting scheme a serious issue.

“Legal and accessible gambling is perhaps the defining issue facing the sports world in the 2020s,” Dr. Brian Moritz said in the release.

“What our survey shows is that sports fans have a complicated relationship with sports gambling. It is undeniably popular, and becoming more so every year, and there’s wide support for legalized gambling. But the growing support for restrictions on sportsbooks’ advertising during live sporting events as well as support for restrictions on betting on college sports show a desire for some guardrails to be put in place around legal and accessible gambling.”

Prediction Markets Should Get Sports Betting Treatment

Turning attention to prediction markets, 15% of Americans reported wagering on a sports contract through online platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi. Among “avid sports fans” and men aged 18-49, those numbers become 42% and 33%, respectively.

Still, most Americans (65%) agree that prediction markets should be subject to state regulation like other sports betting activities. For men aged 19-49, agreement is 73%.