2025 Sports Betting and Gambling Survey

Sports betting is now legal in a majority of states (it’s currently legal in 39 states and the District of Columbia, in one form or another, as of this writing), and the number of Americans participating is growing rapidly year over year in this multi-billion dollar business. According to a new NerdWallet survey, 1 in 5 Americans (20%) say they’ve bet on sports (not including dog or horse races) in the past 12 months. This is compared to our December 2023 survey, where we found 12% of Americans had placed a sports bet in the previous 12 months. That’s an increase of about 67%.

The December 2024 survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, commissioned by NerdWallet and conducted online by The Harris Poll, asked Americans whether they placed a sports bet over the past 12 months. (Those who did are referred to as “sports bettors” throughout this report.) We also asked how much they spend on gambling and their reasons for participating in sports betting.

Key findings

• Sports bettors gamble thousands, on average, per year. Americans who bet on sports in the past 12 months say they’ve spent $3,284, on average, on gambling during this time, which could be a combination of sports betting and other gambling. (The median spending is lower, at $750.) The top motivation for sports bettors? The survey found 65% participate to make extra money.

• Some are taking on debt to gamble; others consider it an investment. Around 1 in 7 sports bettors (14%) say they’ve gone into debt to gamble. And close to a third of sports bettors (31%) view gambling as an investment.

• Some sports bettors resolve to bet more in the new year. Nearly 3 in 10 sports bettors (29%) plan to increase the amount they bet this year compared to 2024.

“While successful gambling can be a form of extra income, it’s important to ensure you have your financial priorities in order before you take those risks,” says Elizabeth Ayoola, personal finance expert at NerdWallet. “That means having a sufficient emergency fund in place, contributing enough to workplace retirement plans to capture an employee match and paying down high-interest debt.”

Sports bettors gambled thousands, on average, this past year

When asked how much they spent on gambling in general in the past 12 months, sports bettors reported spending $3,284, on average, though the median was much lower at $750. When looking at gamblers overall — Americans who gambled on anything, not just sports, in the past 12 months — they spent just $1,827, on average, on gambling in the past 12 months.

So what’s the motivation? Nearly two-thirds of sports bettors (65%) say they participate in sports betting because they want to make extra money.

For some, sports betting is a fun thing to do with friends and family members (53%). And as long as betting isn’t putting your personal finance goals at risk or otherwise causing you problems, it can be an enjoyable hobby or social activity. But if losing those bets isn’t in your budget, it may be time to reevaluate your gambling spending.

What you can do: Set a budget and keep expectations in check

Just like you might set a budget for grocery or clothing spending, it’s a good idea to set a cap on how much you bet each month to ensure you aren’t risking more than you’re reasonably able to lose.

“If you’re going to gamble, budgeting for it can be a smart financial move,” Ayoola says. “If you’re using the 50/30/20 budgeting framework, the money for gambling can come out of the 30% bucket which is allocated to wants. Budgeting is a way to create guardrails around your gambling finances, which can help you avoid debt and manage risk.”

It’s possible to make money from sports betting, but it’s a gamble. If you’re looking for more consistent ways to bring in extra cash, check out these ideas to make money online, offline and at home. And always avoid betting more than you can afford to lose in case a wager doesn’t go the way you plan.

Around a third of sports bettors see gambling as an investment

Plenty of sports bettors seem to be keeping their bets in check: According to the survey, more than 2 in 5 sports betters (44%) say they rarely make bets larger than $20 and a third of sports betters (33%) say they budget gambling into their monthly expenses. But some bettors may be jeopardizing their finances.

The survey found that 14% of sports bettors have gone into debt for gambling and 31% consider gambling to be an investment. While yes, you may win money — 40% of sports bettors say they’ve had net gains in the past 12 months — it’s high risk when compared to something that historically offers slow, long-term growth, like investing in a well-diversified index fund. And going into debt for gambling can indicate problematic financial behavior, just like going into debt for any nonessential spending.

When it comes to the taxes of gambling, just 24% of sports bettors say they report proceeds as taxable income and 14% say they write off some gambling losses. The latter is only an option for taxpayers who itemize their deductions, but gambling winnings should be reported as income, even for those who don’t receive a Form W-2 G, Certain Gambling Winnings.

What you can do: Ensure your finances are in good shape

The survey found that nearly a quarter of sports bettors (23%) often feel like they’re scraping by financially. In addition to budgeting your gambling spending, it’s a good idea to evaluate that the rest of your financial house is in order.

A recent report from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that following legalization of sports betting, those who bet spent 14% less on investments than those who didn’t. It’s a good idea to tackle financial goals — like paying off high interest debt, saving for emergencies and investing for your future — before you spend significant amounts of money on sports betting.

That isn’t to say you can’t have fun with smaller bets while you’re making progress toward your money goals. Nonessential spending in moderation may help you avoid burnout as you improve your finances. But we recommend you avoid going into debt or exceeding your allocated gambling budget to do so.

“Hobbies can quickly become expensive if you don’t budget for them,” Ayoola says. “To avoid overspending on betting and throwing your finances out of whack, prioritize your core needs first and then think about what’s most important to you when it comes to your optional spending. Maybe you enjoy betting on football, for example, but do you want to spend more on that than the streaming service you use to watch the games? To prioritize your wants effectively, you’ll need a solid budget that clearly outlines your income, expenses and disposable income.”

It’s also important to understand the tax implications of sports betting. Depending on how much you win in a given year from a gambling establishment, you may receive a Form W-2 G, which will also be sent to the IRS. But even if you don’t earn enough to receive such a form, you’re expected to report your earnings as income when tax season rolls around.

Gambling losses can be deducted, but only up to the amount of your winnings. So if you report gambling winnings of $3,000 on your Form 1040, you could only deduct $3,000 in losses, no matter how much you actually lost.

Additionally, gambling losses can only be deducted if you itemize, instead of taking the standard deduction. In 2022, just 9.5% of tax returns had itemized deductions, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The standard deduction is quite high; for tax year 2024, single taxpayers can take a standard deduction of $14,600 and married filing jointly households can take a deduction of $29,200. This means many Americans who have gambling losses that could otherwise lower their taxable income won’t be able to report them.

The new year may bring new gamblers

It’s the start of 2025, and nearly 3 in 10 sports bettors (29%) say they plan to increase the amount they bet this year compared to 2024. Some think they’ll have more cash to gamble this year — around a third of sports bettors (34%) believe they’ll have more money to gamble in 2025 than in 2024 as a result of President Trump's economic policies.

We might also see some newbies to the sports betting game in 2025 — while Missouri voted in favor of legalizing online sports betting in 2024, it won’t be operational until sometime this year. It’s also possible we’ll see new legislation from the remaining states where sports betting isn’t currently legal.

In the near term, we’ll likely see a lot of betting on the “big game” in the coming days. According to the survey, 79% of sports bettors say they’d watch the Super Bowl to bet on the game.

As we enter a new year, it’s a good idea to evaluate your sports betting behaviors and make sure it’s still fun and within budget. If you feel like your gambling is harming you or your loved ones — financially or otherwise — there is assistance available.

What you can do: Seek help if your gambling is becoming a problem

Problem gambling, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling is “gambling behavior that is damaging to a person or their family, often disrupting their daily life and career.” Not everyone who gambles has a gambling problem, but it can impact anyone, regardless of how much money you make or how often you place a wager.

According to our survey, more than 1 in 5 sports bettors (21%) say their significant other doesn’t know how much they spend gambling and 30% say losing a sports bet is devastating. Both hiding gambling behavior and experiencing very low lows after losing a bet could be signs that something is amiss.

Struggling with gambling addiction shouldn’t be shameful and there are resources available if you’re concerned that you or a loved one potentially has a gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER, text 800GAM or chat online with someone from the National Problem Gambling Helpline to get free and confidential help.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet from Dec. 3-5, 2024, among 2,092 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 1,535 gambled in the past 12 months, of which 458 bet on sports in the past 12 months. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].

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