Online sports gambling and financial wellbeing in the United States

Abstract

Online sports gambling expanded rapidly in the United States since 2018. This article uses a nationally representative sample survey in early 2025 to measure who is gambling, how much, and online sports gambling’s association with financial wellbeing and decision-making. Gambling in a casino was still more common than online sports gambling in early 2025, but the populations appear distinct, suggesting that sports gambling rapidly expanded the gambling population. Three-quarters of online sports gamblers were male. They were typically younger and had higher incomes than either non-gamblers or casino gamblers. Sports gambling was not statistically associated with lower financial wellbeing or a higher likelihood of difficulty paying bills but was associated with higher rates of revolving credit card debt and did cause some financial distress. One-third of sports gamblers engaged in high-intensity gambling which could indicate problems. Sports gamblers rated their ability to make complex financial decisions higher than non-gamblers, yet they were more impatient and more likely to be overconfident.