NCPG Study Reveals Drop In Percentage Of Americans Who Gamble And Those Reporting ‘Risky’ Behavior

The levels of risky gambling behavior in 2024 were down to almost the same level as 2018, showing about a 27% decrease from a spike in 2021, according to the “National Survey on Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences 3.0” study conducted by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in April 2024.

The NCPG conducted the first National Survey on Gambling Attitudes and Experiences in 2018, after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, making sports betting a states’ rights issue. As states began to legalize sports betting that year, the initial survey found that 7% of U.S. adults reportedly experienced at least one out of four indicators of problematic gambling behavior.

The survey was repeated in 2021 and found the number rose to 11%, as the number of states with legalized sports betting was up to 21. Prior to 2018, casino-style sports betting was only legal in Nevada.

The 2024 report shows that 8% of Americans reported feeling at least one indicator “many times” — almost at the same level with the 2018 survey, but now with 38 states legalized. This suggests that the rise of risky behavior was most likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other outside factors rather than the expansion of legal sports betting, according to the key findings section of the study.

Although the survey suggested that almost 20 million Americans experience problem gambling, many do not view problem gambling as a serious issue. Only 39% of respondents felt that the consequences of gambling were “very severe.”

“A majority of Americans continue to attribute gambling problems to a lack of willpower or moral weakness,” according to the NCPG report on the study. “There is a critical need for education about the realities of gambling and how to lower its risks for those who choose to gamble, particularly for high-risk groups, including young adults, males, online gamblers, and sports bettors.”

Decrease in percentage of gamblers

Analysts suggest a need for more education for Americans on the risk of gambling and the signs of risky gambling behavior. The National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-GAMBLER) is an example of how Americans can get treatment, and awareness of the resource is at 36% of Americans.

However, respondents who reported engaging in at least one indicator of problem gambling showed less awareness for effective treatment. More than a third of respondents — 37% — agreed with the statement that “people with a gambling problem are unlikely to recover or get better.”

In addition, the rise in legalization did not seem to indicate a rise in sports betting. In 2018, 20% of Americans participated in sports betting, then 26% in 2021, and back down to the middle at 23% in 2024.

Participation in online gambling rose from 2018 to 2021 and remained the same through 2024, while participation in other forms of gambling returned to the levels of 2018, according to the NCPG.

The survey was designed by the NCPG and conducted by Ipsos. Via an online survey, 3,013 people in all 50 states and the District of Columbia were polled between Jan. 26, 2024-March 20, 2024.