The majority of Americans gambled in the past year, another high-water mark for an industry steadily gaining growing acceptance in the country.
The majority of Americans participated in some form of gambling in the past year, according to a gaming industry survey released Wednesday.
According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), 55% of American adults said they participated in casino gaming, lotteries, sports betting, iGaming, parimutuel-wagering, or video lottery terminals. This is an all-time high for the annual survey and the first time a majority of respondents reported they had participated in a legal gaming form.
“These latest survey results highlight a consistent trend over the years: as gaming expands to new audiences, Americans increasingly see the benefits of a legal, regulated gaming marketplace that contributes to communities, prioritizes responsibility and provides unmatched entertainment,” said Joe Maloney, AGA senior vice president, strategic communications, in a statement.
The survey shows growing support for gambling participation in each of the past three years. Since hitting a low point in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, gambling participation has more than doubled from 22% that year to its current 55% level.
The average age of casino participation has also trended downward since the pandemic’s onset. After peaking at 49.6 in 2019, the average age has decreased in each of the past five years, declining to 41.9 in 2024, according to the survey.
The average age of US casino visitors peaked at 49.6 in 2019; that number has steadily decreased in each of the past 5 years since the Pandemic and currently sits at 41.9, per an AGA survey released today; this is welcome news for an industry looking to attract younger customers
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) August 28, 2024
Brick-and-mortar casino participation has likewise tracked upward.
The AGA study found 49% of respondents had visited a casino in the past year to gamble, attend a show or concert, or other reasons. This correlates to a projected 122 million adults visiting casinos in the past year.
The study encompassed 2,000 American voters aged 21 or older across the U.S.
Other key findings
The survey’s findings reflect a growing positive attitude toward gambling in America.
When given three options to answer their views on gambling, nearly nine in ten respondents said it was “acceptable for me and others” or “acceptable for others, but not for me personally.” Only 12% responded that casino gambling was “not acceptable for anyone.”
More favorable gambling responses have steadily improved since 2009, the first year of figures presented in the survey. That year only around 81% of respondents thought gambling was okay for themselves or others compared to roughly 17% that found it unacceptable in all circumstances.
Likewise, 85% of respondents found that the “casino gambling industry has a positive impact on the U.S. economy” and 76% responded that “the casino industry is a growing industry.” The figures from the two questions had increased from 73% and 54%, respectively, in 2019, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of the industry.
When asked to use a phrase to describe different aspects of the industry, most respondents said casino gambling does “well” or “very well” in bringing entertainment and dining options to areas that overwise don’t attract them. When asked if casino gambling “has an overall positive impact on local communities,” 26% of respondents described that statement reflected realities “very well” and 42% said “pretty well.”
Macro-level trends
After being limited to just Nevada (beginning in the 1930s) and New Jersey (1970s), casino gambling has spread to most states and is within an hour’s drive or less of most Americans. There are now more than 1,000 commercial or tribal casinos nationwide.
Gaming stakeholders are pushing to expand gambling in the few remaining major markets without such options.
Las Vegas Sands, which has divested itself of all U.S. assets, is spearheading approval to bring a casino to the Texas-Forth Worth area next year. New York City, home to the nation’s largest metro area, could award up to three casino licenses by next year. Sands and most other major U.S. operators have placed bids for what are expected to be among the most lucrative properties in the country.
Meanwhile, Chicago, the third-largest metro area, is set to see its first-ever permanent downtown casino open by as early as 2026. Operating company Bally’s broke ground on the property earlier this week.
The growing favorability could also benefit online casino gaming operators. Though in-person gaming – and online sports betting – has been endorsed by roughly 40 states apiece, regulated online slots and table games are only permitted in seven jurisdictions.