US Gambling Statistics & Trends 2025
The U.S. gambling industry is one of the most valuable markets in the world with an estimated 57 million active gamblers visiting casinos and sportsbooks & wagering through online casinos and mobile sports betting apps – generating revenues for gambling companies and state coffers via taxes.
The regulated US casino industry got underway with the first legislation passed in the state of Nevada in 1931, paving the way for lawmakers across the United States to pass similar legislation over upcoming decades.
Today gambling venues such as casinos, sportsbooks, bingo halls and card-rooms can be found across the majority of U.S. states. Utah and Hawaii the only two states in 2025 which still consider all forms of gambling illegal.
US Gambling Statistics
America Likes To Gamble: Each year ~40% of the U.S. adult population visits a casino at least once.
Around 85% of U.S. adults have gambled at least once in their lives while as many as 60% of adults saying that they have gambled in the past year. [2]
Slots are the most popular form of gambling in the USA with 68% of people who gamble playing slot machines most often [3]. Slots are quite often the biggest revenue generating game in casinos, as evidenced by monthly state breakdowns of revenues gleaned from regulated gambling (land-based and / or online gambling) in their states.
Over 80% of U.S. adults say that casinos are legitimate businesses and that gambling in general is an acceptable industry [3].
According to the American Gaming Association (AGA) — an industry association founded in 1994 with the goal of promoting & lobbying on behalf of the gambling industry — U.S. citizens spend around $511 billion each year through unlicensed sportsbooks, iGaming websites and illegal gaming machines [31].
The AGA also estimates that commercial gambling in the USA generates approximately $53 billion in tax revenues each year. The economic impact from commercial gambling is around $329 billion annually. The U.S. gaming industry supports 1.8 million jobs.
U.S. Casino Statistics
There are more than 2,000+ casinos, sportsbooks and gambling venues located across the United States. This is the highest number of gambling venues in a single country and makes up for roughly a fifth of all casinos and gambling venues across the globe. [1]
- 84 million people visited a casino in the USA in 2022 [31].
- 47 states have legal casino gaming through tribal or commercial venues.
- The US has 500+ tribal casinos & gaming venues operating across 29 states [4].
- Oklahoma has the highest number of tribal casinos and tribal gaming venues with 140 [31].
- The average age of a U.S. casino patron in 2022 was 42.4 years old [31].
- in 2022, 50% of people that visited casinos said they did so to gamble while just over 30% said they went to make use on non-gambling entertainment [31].
- The WinStar World Casino & Resort located in Thackerville, Oklahoma is the largest casino in the United States and the world. The casino covers 600,000 square feet [7].
- Illinois has the highest number of gaming machine locations with 8,464 [31].
Many casinos throughout the United States make use of a loophole that allows smoking on a percentage of casino gaming floors despite smoking indoors being completely prohibited in other industries. As of January 2025, a total of 1,077 U.S. casinos—157 of which are tribal—have smoke-free indoor policies.
The minimum age for casino gambling is typically 21 across the USA. However, there are 12 states and territories that allow anyone aged 18 or over on the gaming floor of either tribal or commercial casinos. These states are:
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Michigan
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- Washington
Nevada & Las Vegas Casinos
Nevada has 220 casinos, the highest number of any state in the United States [31]. Made famous in many movies, Las Vegas is a popular tourist & gambling destination. World-renowned Las Vegas casinos include the Mirage, Luxor, The Bellagio and The Wynn. The state of Nevada boasts highest number of gaming machines in the United States with 148,644 units licensed to operate in 2024 [31].
California
California has the highest number of poker rooms in the USA [10].
Riverboat Casinos
There are 66 riverboat casinos in operation across six states; Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri. Just over 30% of all riverboat casinos in the U.S. are located in Mississippi which has 20 licensed riverboats [31].
Racinos
There are 50 racinos (casino gaming venues at racing tracks) across 16 states. [31] Ohio and New York have the highest number of racinos with 7 each [31].
U.S. Online Casinos
Legal and regulated online casino gaming (also known as iGaming) is available in seven states across the United States, while several other states are currently in the process of discussing legislation, making it likely that more state lawmakers and regulators will legalize, regulate and tax legal online gambling in their States.
U.S. States with Online Casino Gaming
| State | iGaming Launch |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | Nov 2013 |
| Delaware | Oct 2013 |
| Pennsylvania | Jul 2018 |
| West Virginia | Jul 2020 |
| Michigan | Jan 2021 |
| Connecticut | Oct 2021 |
| Rhode Island | Mar 2024 |
NOTE: Nevada allows online poker and online sports betting but does not allow online casino gaming.
New Jersey has the highest number of unique online casino brands at around 30 [11]
U.S. Sports Betting Statistics & Trends
Since the US Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on single-event sports wagering back in 2018, individual states have moved to join Nevada in launching regulated sports betting markets.
At present, sports betting is available in 39 states + District of Columbia. [12]
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington DC
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
There are 35+ sports betting operators currently active in the regulated United States gambling market which service clients via apps and via brand-websites, however, with various global entities entering the market and some leaving, this number can and does vary from month to month [13].
- In 2025 DraftKings and FanDuel are the leading sports betting operators by coverage. Each has licenses to operate in 26 states [13].
- Circa Resort & Casino in Nevada is home to the world’s largest sportsbook. It has a 1,000-person seating layout across 35,000 square feet and a 78 million pixel screen [14].
- Nevada has the highest number of retails sportsbooks in the USA with 189 locations in 2025 [15].
- Caesars is the largest retail sports betting operator in the United States as a result of its acquisition of William Hill.
Sports Betting Activity
Gambling is very popular in the United States where 70% of U.S sports bettors gamble weekly while 25% gamble daily [19].
The National Football League (NFL) is the most wagered-on sport league in the United States [16], while the annual Super Bowl is the most wagered on single sporting event in the U.S. attracting wagers from around 50 million adults in 2023 [17].
Research [18] suggests that the 35-44 year old age group is the most active with as many as 15% of the group betting at least once a week.
Bettors like to shop around for odds and promotions: 74% of regular U.S. sports bettors have more than one mobile sports betting account [19].
Average Online Sports Betting Wager Size
A study of sports bettors [20] found that the most common amounts wagered on a single event are:
| Amount | % of Bettors |
|---|---|
| Less than $10 | 28% |
| $10 – $25 | 26% |
| $25 – $50 | 17% |
| $50 – $100 | 9% |
| $100 – $250 | 9% |
| $250+ | 11% |
Why Do People Bet on Sports?
According to a survey of people who bet on sports regularly [20], their motivations for placing bets are classified as follows:
- 71% want to win money
- 61% bet for excitement
- 51% enjoy the challenge of picking winners
Which Are The Most Popular Sportsbooks in the USA
According to research [20], American sports bettors aged 21+ named the following brands as the most popular.
| Brand | % |
|---|---|
| DraftKings | 23% |
| Caesars | 19% |
| PointsBet | 19% |
| BetMGM | 18% |
| FanDuel | 18% |
| Unibet | 16% |
| FOX Bet | 16% |
| Barstool Sports | 15% |
| BetRivers | 13% |
NOTE: FOX Bet is now defunct, having closed its doors to consumers on July 30th, 2023.
U.S. Wagers and Winnings Stats
Sports betting
The largest wager in the history of U.S. sports betting is believed to be the $10 million Mattress Mack (Jim McIngvale) bet on the Houston Astros to win the 2022 MLB World Series at odds of 7.5/1. When the Astros won the World Series in November, McIngvale won $75 million which is the highest winnings from a sports bet [30].
The largest wager ever made on the NFL Super Bowl was also made by Jim McIngvale when he bet $5 million on the the Cincinnati Bengals to beat the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI in February 2022. The Bengals lost by 20-23 [32].
Super Bowl LVII was the most wagered on sporting event in U.S. history as sportsbooks and bookmakers (both legal and unlicensed) took in an estimated $16 billion in bets in 2023 [17].
This figure grew to $23.1 billion in 2024 with a record 68 million US residents placing wagers on the NFL end of season finale. [43].
The largest wager ever made on the NBA was the $5.9 million placed by Floyd Mayweather on the Miami Heat to beat the Indiana Pacers in 2013. This was also the highest payout for an NBA wager with winnings of $6.5 million [33].
Poker (Live & Online)
The 2023 World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em Main Event had the largest prize pool in the history of U.S. poker, totaling $93.4 million [34].
The largest U.S. poker win of all time was the $18,346,673 won by poker pro Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari at the World Series of Poker’s $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop tournament which was held in Las Vegas in 2012 [35].
The largest WSOP Main Event win of all time was the $12.1 million won by Daniel Weinman in 2023 [34]. The 2023 WSOP Main Event had 10,043 players, marking a 14.5% increase over the previous record, a 15.9% increase over the 2022 tournament, and a 17.2% increase over the last pre-pandemic Main Event.
Casino
The largest slot machine win in U.S. history was the $39.7 million jackpot won on the Megabucks slot at Excalibur Hotel & Casino in March 2003 [36].
Australian tycoon Kerry Packer won recorded the largest blackjack win by an individual in U.S. history when he won $7 million in 40 minutes at the Hilton Casino in Las Vegas in 1991 [37].
The largest roulette bet ever made in the United States was $250,000. The wager was a rollover of an initial bet of $125,000 made by two friends from reality show ‘The Buried Life’. They tried to roll it over a third time but lost it all [38].
The biggest roulette win in U.S. history was $220,000. In 1994, Chris Boyd wagered $220,000 on a single spin of the wheel and collected $220,000 plus his original stake [9].
U.S. Gambling Revenue Statistics
Combined commercial and tribal gaming revenues topped the $100 billion mark for the second time in history as 2023 saw operators report combined revenues of $108.5 billion. [4][5]
Commercial Casino Gaming
In 2023—the most recently full year stats available—the U.S. gambling industry generated over $66.66 billion in revenue across commercial casinos and gambling venues. This represented a 10.3% increase year-over-year [5].
Commercial gaming generated $14.67 billion in taxes throughout 2023. [5].
Slot machines and table games are the most profitable games for gambling operators. In 2023, slots and table games generated $45.8 billion in revenues, over 68% of all commercial gaming revenues [5].
Sportsbooks generated $11.04 billion in 2023, up by 46% over the same period in 2022.
In 2023 Nevada was the market leader in commercial gaming revenue in the United States generating $15.5 billion in revenue, more than double its closest competitor Pennsylvania [41].
Nebraska was the standout state for revenue growth in 2023 following the opening of casinos in Lincoln, Grand Island and Columbus. Revenues grew by 534.7$ to $89.1 million for the year.
| State | Commercial Gaming Revenue 2023 | Annual Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $15.5B | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | $5.8B | 9.8% |
| New Jersey | $5.8B | 10.9% |
| New York | $4.7B | 11.6% |
| Michigan | $3.5B | 9.9% |
| Indiana | $2.8B | -2.3% |
| Louisiana | $2.7B | 3.8% |
| Mississippi | $2.5B | -3.5% |
| Ohio | $3.3B | 42.3% |
| Maryland | $2.5B | 13.5% |
| Illinois | $2.5B | 17.8% |
| Iowa | $1.9B | 0.8% |
| Missouri | $1.9B | 0.1% |
| Colorado | $1.5B | 4.8% |
| Massachusetts | $1.6B | 47.3% |
| West Virginia | $801.8M | 4.3% |
| Florida | $690.9M | -0.4% |
| Rhode Island | $707.5M | 2.8% |
| Arkansas | $686.6M | 11.8% |
| Arizona* | – | – |
| Virginia | $1.1B | 98% |
| Delaware | $502.5M | 3.2% |
| Kansas | $588.3M | 23% |
| Connecticut | $579.9M | 39.3% |
| Tennessee | $468.4M | 23.5% |
| New Mexico | $270.9M | 3.4% |
| Maine | $175.1M | 6.1% |
| Oklahoma | $151.4M | 0.4% |
| South Dakota | $147.6M | 3.3% |
| New Hampshire | $80.3M | 20.3% |
| Oregon | $64.3M | 53.1% |
| Washington D.C. | $19.1M | -17.6% |
| Wyoming | $17.3M | 16.9% |
| Nebraska | $89.1M | 534.7% |
| Montana | $8.4M | 17.8% |
*Figures not yet collated
The online gambling sector in the U.S. is projected to grow from approximately $14 billion in 2023 to nearly $40 billion by 2029, indicating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.56%.
Tribal Casino Gaming
Tribal gaming operations generated $41.9 billion in revenues during 2023 representing a 2.4% increase on the previous year. This is the highest total every recorded in the history of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) [4].
The NIGC regulates the tribal gaming industry according to eight regions; D.C., Oklahoma City, Portland, Phoenix, Rapid City, Sacramento, St. Paul and Tulsa.
| Region | Tribal Gaming Revenue |
|---|---|
| Sacramento | $112B |
| D.C. | $9.2B |
| St. Paul | $5.1B |
| Portland | $4.5B |
| Phoenix | $3.9B |
| Tulsa | $3.6B |
| Oklahoma | $3.2B |
| Rapid City | $400M |
Online Casino Gaming Revenue
Online casino gaming (iGaming) operators generated combined revenues of $5.02 billion in 2022 representing an increase of 35.2% year-over-year [5].
In 2023 revenues grew by 22.9% to $6.2 billion across the six states where iGaming was in operation. This is expected to grow once more in 2024 following the launch of Rhode Island’s iGaming market in March 2024 [41].
Sports Betting Revenue
Commercial sportsbooks and mobile sports betting operators combined to generate more than $7.5 billion in revenues during 2022. This marked a 72.7% increase on the previous year [5].
2023 saw sports betting revenue grow by 46% to $11 billion. During the year sportsbooks accepted over $121.1 billion in wagers [41].
U.S. Gambling Market Growth
The casino gaming market (including iGaming and sports betting) is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.53% between 2022 and 2027 to reach $114.52 billion [6].
U.S. Poker Statistics
Poker is one of the most popular card games in the United States with a wide variety of poker variants played in poker rooms around the country.
Key poker statistics:
- There are 60 million online poker players in the USA [21]
- The global online poker market is valued at $96.2 billion in 2023 and is expected to be worth $170 billion by 2030 [22].
- Online poker accounts increase by 34% each year [21].
- No-Limit Texas Hold’em is the most popular variant of poker with over 12 million global players [21].
- There are 400+ poker rooms in the United States.
- California has the highest number of poker rooms [10]
Online Poker
There are now eight states that can offer legal and regulated online poker following the March 2024 launch of iGaming in Rhode Island:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Nevada
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- West Virginia
U.S. Gambling Business Statistics
The U.S. gambling market is a thriving industry with hundreds of companies operating across both the retail and online sectors. Below, are the top ten U.S. gambling companies by market cap. [23]
| Company | Market Cap (July 2023) |
|---|---|
| DraftKings | $13.38 Billion |
| Churchill Downs Inc. | $9.94 Billion |
| Scientific Games Corporation (SG) | $5.61 Billion |
| Everi Holdings Inc. | $1.34 Billion |
| Accel Entertainment, Inc. | $958.5 Million |
| Rush Street Interactive, Inc. | $873.0 Million |
| Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Inc. | $271.0 Million |
| PlayAGS, Inc. | $220.7 Million |
| Canterbury Park Holding Corporation | $112.7 Million |
| GAN Limited | $81.3 Million |
U.S. Gambling Industry Fines, Penalties & Sanctions
The U.S. lags behind its European and Australian counterparts when it comes to financial penalties issued to gambling operators.
In 2022, global gambling regulators issued fines totaling $311,410,911 with $921,000 of that figure handed out by gaming commissions in the United States [27].
This grew to $445,988,016 in 2023 with about $1.5 million of that figure issued by US gambling regulators, an increase of 63% year-on-year.
2024 saw fines drop to $184.4 million in 2024.
The largest fine issued in 2022 in the United States was the $350,000 fine imposed on DraftKings by the Ohio Casino Control Commission [28].
The largest fine of 2023 was the $400,000 fine imposed on Monarch Casino by the Colorado Division of Gaming Commission for breaches that included sportsbook employees placing proxy bets on behalf of out-of-state customers. [42].
The largest fine in 2023 is the $400,000 fine issued to Monarch Casinos & Resort by the Colorado gaming regulator following the discovery that sportsbook employees were placing proxy bets on behalf of out-of-state customers [39].
US gaming commission issued penalties of $9.4 million across 2024. The largest fine came in January of 2024 when the US Justice Department fined MGM Resorts $7.5 million in relation to illegal sports betting operations that former president and chief operating officer of Resorts World Las Vegas, Scott Sibella, was aware of.
For the latest updates on financial penalties in 2024 check our Gambling Industry Fines tracker.
U.S. Problem Gambling
While gambling can be an enjoyable, fun activity for many – a small percentage of those that take part may develop a serious gambling problem or disorder.
- In the United States, between 1 and 2% of the adult population (2-4 million) will develop a gambling disorder at some point in their lives [24].
- Only 10% of people with gambling problems will seek help [24].
- In 2022, the U.S. National Institutes of Health failed to invest any money to study gambling problems [24].
- 39% of people who are getting assistance for a gambling disorder will drop out of treatment [25].
- During the global pandemic the number of compulsive gamblers grew by 17.6% [26].
- New Jersey’s high-risk problem gambling rate is three times the national level [40].
References
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