A new survey from U.S. News found that one out of four respondents were unable to pay their bills because of sports betting losses.
The survey, which took place nationwide from July 7-9, polled 1,200 respondents on their sports betting attitudes, habits, and financial decisions.
Key Takeaways
- The survey revealed significant issues with emotional and financial control.
- Gamblers have resorted to betting money to pay off their bills.
- Nearly half of respondents said they didn’t have enough money saved to cover 3-6 months of expenses.
Thirty percent of the U.S. News survey respondents said they had debts associated with sports betting. The majority of respondents indicated that those debts were in excess of $500. That’s 42% of the median weekly salary during Q1 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In that vein, about 45% of subjects polled in the survey said they didn't have three to six months of emergency funds saved to cover their basic expenses. Fifteen percent also revealed they had taken out loans to fund their betting habits, and 80% of those were high-interest payday loans.
Payday loans don’t offer huge amounts – usually $500 or less – but must be paid within two to four weeks, and they come with interest rates of around 400%.
This is all despite many of the survey respondents indicating that they were only casual sports bettors. 44% said they placed less than five bets in an average week, and less than $100 monthly.
Gambling amounts were tied largely to the person’s income. Roughly 45% of respondents making at least $150,000 said they risked at least $500 in an average month.
Troubling numbers
One of the biggest concerns for state regulators, amid the legal sports betting boom, is the negative effect on overall health.
One-fourth of the survey participants said they worried they couldn’t control their gambling impulses. Nine percent said they’d already sought help from various resources designed to help fight gambling addictions.
Twenty-one percent also said that they had verbally abused an athlete online or in person after they lost a wager. That’s a common trend that has been noted by professional and collegiate athletes, who have reported more personal criticism and harassment since sports betting was legalized federally in 2018.
The rule of thumb in the sports betting industry is that betting should only be done for entertainment, not out of necessity. However, 39% of respondents said they placed their bets with hopes of paying off their debts with their potential winnings.
Nearly 50% of subjects also said they’d placed at least one bet they severely regretted, and one-third said they concealed their sports betting losses from their loved ones.
Sports betting expansion
Sports betting is legal and operational in 38 states, soon to be 39 when Missouri launches its market by Dec. 1.
The American Gaming Association reported that consumers bet about $150 billion at legal sportsbooks in 2025. Sportsbooks have implemented a variety of responsible gambling tools to help their customers’ health, and state regulators also offer resources to anyone struggling with negative gambling effects.
Anyone who is struggling with problem gambling can call 1-800-GAMBLER or text 800GAM for free assistance.
