Adam Roarty is a journalist covering sports betting, regulation, and industry innovation for CasinoBeats. His coverage includes tax increases in the UK, covering breaking stories in the ever-evolving landscape of US betting such as the...
Read Full BioNew data shows that the number of Americans who reported placing a bet in 2025 has doubled since 2023, to 17% from 8%. While more individuals are betting, concerns about the spread of betting in sports are also growing, including integrity risks and the prevalence of gambling advertising.
The number of online and in-person bettors has grown in the last two years. In 2023, 4% of Americans said they had placed a bet in person, rising to 10% in 2025. Similarly, 15% of Americans reported placing an online wager last year, up from 8% in 2023.
The figure has been rising steadily. In 2022 and 2023, 8% of Americans placed a bet, which rose to 13% in 2024 and to 17% last year. The date was reported by Ipsos, which surveyed just over 1,000 Americans on their gambling habits.
Integrity Risks Rising Amid Betting Scandals
Around 50% of those surveyed said they had heard about the recent NBA betting scandal. Perhaps in reaction to this, concerns about sporting integrity have been rising.
In 2023, only 37% of Americans believed that sports betting undermines the integrity of the game, but that figure rose to 49% last year. The majority of sports fans (55%) now think sports betting is an integrity risk.
Following the NBA scandal, there have been similar accusations of spot-fixing in MLB and allegations of widespread point-shaving in college basketball. In the college basketball scandal, the same betting syndicate has been implicated as in the NBA scandal.
A total of 51% of sports fans said they were concerned that sporting events are rigged due to sports gambling. Proponents of legalizing sports betting say that the scandals are not increasing, but merely being detected more easily due to the increased monitoring that legal sports betting has brought.
Sports Fans Support Ban on Gambling Ads
As sports betting legalization spreads across the country, sports fans are increasingly opposed to gambling ads appearing in coverage.
51% of sports fans surveyed said they support banning betting ads during sporting events. When framed as a government-imposed prohibition, support was lower, with only 43% of fans saying they supported the government banning gambling ads.
Two bills in New Jersey proposing to restrict gambling ads have been floated again in this legislative session. Rather than having lawmakers make decisions, Americans want sports leagues and broadcasters to lead the implementation of stricter advertising regulations.
Sports Leagues Should Do More to Regulate Betting
49% of respondents agreed that sports leagues should do more to regulate sports betting, while only 16% disagreed. In light of the recent scandal that led to the indictments of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, MLB has restricted the maximum stake on micro bets.
The NCAA has also been vocal in urging states to restrict prop bets on college sports. While sports leagues may call for action, in the end, it will be lawmakers and betting companies that can implement changes in the industry.
Not all Americans are particularly preoccupied about sports betting scandals, however. Only slightly more (45%) said they care about the NBA betting scandal than a drunk raccoon (37%).
