Recent trends indicate a significant decrease in self-reported gambling among Americans over the last decade, raising questions about the accuracy of traditional survey methods. A new Gallup poll reveals that only 45% of adults in the U.S. participated in any gambling activities in the past year, a notable decline from 64% in 2016, 63% in 2007, and 66% in 2003.
The analysis, which now includes non-sports prediction markets and paid fantasy sports, saw a slight increase in the overall figure for 2026, from 44% to 45%. However, this uptick does not offset the significant drop in traditional gambling activities. Participation in state lotteries plummeted from 49% in 2016 to just 31%, while in-person casino visits fell from 26% to 14%.
Interestingly, these findings emerge during a period of expansion for legal sports betting across the U.S., alongside a burgeoning prediction market sector that handles billions in monthly transactions. Gallup acknowledges a disparity in responses, noting that individuals tend to report higher gambling activity when surveyed online compared to phone interviews. This discrepancy may grow if societal stigma around gambling increases.
Despite the growth of the sports betting market, Gallup found that only 7% of respondents had placed a bet on a professional sporting event in the past year, down from 10% in 2016 and matching figures from 2007. In contrast, other surveys, such as one from the Siena Research Institute, indicate that 27% of Americans have active online sportsbook accounts, with a notable 52% of men aged 18 to 49 participating.
Gallup's historical data relies on telephone interviews, but a recent online survey showed that 53% of respondents reported gambling in the past year, highlighting a significant gap compared to the phone survey results. This difference was particularly evident in sports betting, where participation was 15% via phone but rose to 21% online.
Furthermore, Gallup's new inquiry into prediction markets revealed that only 2% of respondents had placed bets on non-athletic events in these markets, despite sports making up a substantial portion of prediction market volume. This raises questions about how respondents define their gambling activities, especially in the context of legal classifications.