Gallup Survey Shows Decline in U.S. Adult Gambling Participation

A recent Gallup telephone poll found that 45% of U.S. adults reported taking part in at least one gambling activity over the past 12 months, a figure that sits well below the 64% recorded in 2016, and the drop stems largely from reduced involvement in state lotteries along with fewer in-person casino visits. State lottery participation fell to 31% from the earlier 49%, while casino visits dropped to 14% from 26%, creating the bulk of the overall decline according to the survey results. When researchers added responses about non-sports prediction markets and paid fantasy sports, the total participation rate moved only from 44% to 45%, indicating those newer activities contributed little to the broader picture.

Key Drivers Behind the Participation Drop

Telephone interviews captured the main shifts, with traditional gambling forms showing the steepest reductions across the multi-year span, and observers note that lotteries and physical casino trips have long formed the backbone of reported U.S. gambling activity. Data from the poll highlights how these categories alone account for most of the gap between the 2016 and current numbers, while sports betting and related prediction formats appear underrepresented in the telephone sample. The survey methodology relied on random-digit dialing, which tends to reach older demographics more consistently than younger adults who favor mobile devices, and this approach may influence which activities surface in the responses.

Adding non-sports prediction markets and paid fantasy sports produced only a modest lift in the headline figure, moving the rate by a single percentage point, and this limited effect underscores how those categories remain smaller in the overall U.S. adult population. Gallup researchers presented the findings in a report released during August 2026, drawing attention to the continued dominance of lotteries and casino visits even as newer platforms gain visibility elsewhere.

Contrasts With Broader Industry Data

Industry tracking services and state regulatory reports often show rising handle and revenue from sports betting and prediction markets in multiple jurisdictions, yet the Gallup telephone poll registers lower engagement in those areas. This divergence suggests that survey design choices, including contact method and question wording, can produce different snapshots of the same underlying behavior. Experts who study polling effects have observed that younger adults, who drive much of the growth in mobile sports betting apps, respond at lower rates to traditional telephone outreach.

The poll also separated results by demographic groups, revealing variations in participation across age brackets and regions, while the overall national decline remained the central finding. State lotteries continue to attract the largest share of respondents even after the drop, followed by casino visits, and these two categories still exceed the combined reach of newer online formats within the telephone sample. Data indicates that the addition of prediction market questions did not alter the ranking of leading activities.

Implications for Future Research

Researchers examining the results point to the need for mixed-mode surveys that combine telephone and online collection to reduce coverage gaps. The difference between the 45% telephone rate and the 53% online rate illustrates how sampling frames affect estimates of gambling prevalence. Those who analyze public opinion data note that weighting adjustments can narrow but not fully eliminate such mode effects when behaviors correlate with technology use.

The Gallup findings align with earlier patterns in which traditional forms dominate self-reported participation, even as revenue trackers document expansion in digital channels. Comparisons across multiple data sources help place the telephone poll within a wider context of U.S. gambling measurement. The report referenced in the August 2026 release provides detailed tables on activity types and demographic breakdowns for further examination.

Conclusion

The Gallup telephone poll documents a clear reduction in reported gambling participation since 2016, driven primarily by lower engagement with state lotteries and in-person casinos, while newer categories produced minimal upward movement in the overall rate. Differences between telephone and online responses highlight ongoing methodological considerations for tracking gambling behavior accurately. Observers note that continued comparison with other surveys will clarify how participation patterns evolve across collection methods and population segments.