AGA: 90% of sweepstakes players consider it gambling
Close to 70% of players engage with sweepstakes as a method to win money.
Key points:
– The AGA has found that 90% of sweepstakes players consider play to be a form of gambling
– 68% play with the intention of winning money
– Sweepstakes players are typically lower-income, white and aged 31-40
The American Gaming Association (AGA) has released new data relating to sweepstakes casinos in the US.
According to the data, sweepstakes players overwhelmingly use these sites to gamble, with 90% of players considering it to be a form of gaming – 59% calling it ‘definitely gambling’ and 31% describing it as ‘probably gambling’ – and 68% saying their reason for using the sites is to win money. Almost 70% describe sweepstakes casinos as platforms to wager real money, with 80% spending monthly and nearly half spending weekly.
Interestingly, these figures are closer to those reported by iGaming players, with 82% of iGaming players being motivated by money. By contrast, 73% of free-to-play customers cite fun as their primary motivation for play
Moreover, the number of sweepstakes players was shown to double in states without sweepstakes regulation.
Furthermore, 50% of online casino ads seen by US players came from offshore sweepstakes sites in early 2025.
Good to know: New Jersey banned sweepstakes in July
On the data, AGA VP of Government Relations Tres York said: “These operators present themselves like legal, regulated platforms – but they operate outside the law and regulation. There are few if any responsible gaming tools, no regulatory oversight and no consumer protections. It’s a dangerous subterfuge that puts players at real risk.”
The AGA also provided data on the typical sweepstakes player. 35% are aged between 31-40, with 27% aged 41-50 and 22% aged 21-30. Interestingly, the gender divide amongst players was almost perfectly even, with 51% of players being men and 49% being women.
69% of sweepstakes players were white, with 42% of players earning a household income under $50,000 – below the national average. 71% are in full-time employment, while 17% are unemployed, with 38% having graduated high school at most. This does not skew too far from the demographics of iGaming players, though the player-base does lean slightly more towards male.
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