BY Kathy Crosett
How many adults are gambling in the U.S.? And which forms of gambling promotion convince them to spend more money betting on their favorite teams or events? It’s a question worth asking as online sports betting companies are spending a lot of money to promote their platforms. New Gallup data shows that gambling overall has dropped in the last decade. According to AudienceSCAN from AdMall, the number of adults betting on sporting events has dropped after growing significantly from 2022 to 2025.
What do people gamble on?
Consumers gamble through different channels and for different reasons. The biggest draws for consumers’ cash are lottery tickets, casinos and online sporting events. In addition, there’s growing interest in prediction markets. Each of these forms of gambling requires a unique form of promotion as they are targeting different audiences.
How big is the lottery ticket market?
Around 31% of U.S. adults have purchased a lottery ticket in the past month, reports Gallup. That’s a significant decrease from the 49% who did so in 2026. Loyal lottery ticket buyers appreciate the simplicity of the lottery as there are no complex rules to follow. These gamblers don’t have to worry about whether the team they are betting on is slated to win. And they also believe that they have a huge upside in terms of winning.
Who is most likely to buy lottery tickets and when?
Researchers also point out that financial illiteracy contributes to some groups being more likely to buy lottery tickets. Consumers with an income lower than $50,000 spend more on lottery tickets.
More than anything else, reports AudienceSCAN from AdMall, lower-income consumers take action after seeing an ad on their mobile phone app or getting a text message: 35%.
State lottery commissions are taking note. In some cases, they are setting up apps where consumers can play daily numbers games online.
Reports indicate that consumers will buy more tickets when the prize increases. Remind your accounts to advertise the growing size of the pool to attract more ticket buyers.
How can casinos improve their gambling promotions?
Gallup reports that the second most popular form of gambling is at a casino. Yet the number of U.S. adults visiting casinos has dropped from 26% to 14% since 2016. However, Gallup analysts point out that they surveyed consumers both online and through telephone calling. In looking at consumers who took the survey online, 19% said they visited a casino in the past year.
By comparison, AudienceSCAN data indicates that around 16% of consumers gamble at casinos, a figure that has held relatively steady for the past several years. At least 38% of these consumers have responded to ads on a social network and TV ads in the past month. Around 30% of these consumers say that local evening news programming on TV is a favorite.
If your casino accounts have recently rolled out new games, let them know they need to advertise to reach these consumers.
How is online sporting events betting changing?
Some consumers are routine bettors. Others bet on specific sporting events. For example, AudienceSCAN data shows that 11% of U.S. adults are March Madness Bracket Players. In 2026, the American Gaming Association predicted that $3.3B would be spent on March Madness bets.
Your accounts can tap into the wallets and hearts of March Madness Bracket Players by promoting what these consumers care about.
- The glory of winning 33%
- The chance to win money 27%
- To support a school or team 16%
Around 22% of U.S. adults identify as Online Sporting Event Bettors according to AudienceSCAN findings. Gallup poll data points to a relatively flat market for this activity.
In contrast with lottery ticket buyers, around 64% of sporting event bettors have an annual household income of $75K or greater. This audience skews heavily to males (nearly 64%.)
Your accounts will want to know that these bettors overindex for their interest in NBA basketball, women’s sports and college basketball. Not surprisingly, 41% of this audience indicates that sports is a favorite type of TV programming. These factors can drive a successful gambling promotion for your accounts.
How are consumers engaging with prediction markets?
Prediction markets are a growing trend in the U.S. These markets are based on online trading platforms where consumers bet on what will happen in the future. These events range from weather to politics to sports outcomes. Consumer interest in prediction markets has exploded .
For example, a casual poll found that around 25% of young interns at Morgan Stanley are using or have used a “betting or prediction market app” in the past year. These prediction markets, largely owned by platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, are controversial. In terms of advertising, analysts see that prediction markets are moving into the online sports betting market. Despite increased competition, sports betting advertising by traditional online sportsbooks has been falling in recent years. But “impressions tied to prediction market advertising surged dramatically.”
In summary
While the gambling audience may be shrinking, it’s also clear that consumers are showing interest in different types of betting. Your accounts can reach consumers with the right gambling promotion. With AudienceSCAN data, they’ll understand which media formats resonate with these consumers.
Image by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.
