Americans Feel More Positively About Gambling, AGA Survey Shows

The American Gaming Association (AGA) revealed that there is a growing sense of cautious optimism among gambling executives.

Recent polling from the Association, which included responses from casino big-wigs, showed that casino visits increased over the past year. That was based on more than half over the 2,000 respondents, aged 21 or older, that said they had been to a retail casino at least once in the last year. 

The growing support for casino gambling also indicates a potential swell in support for legal online casinos, which are only available in seven states.

Casino industry continues to grow

The poll was conducted by Kantar on behalf of the AGA from July 22-August 8, 2025. The sample was deemed nationally representative with a margin of error of two percent in either direction.

The results showed that 57 percent of Americans participated in at least one form of gambling within the past year. That included 30 percent of respondents who gambled at a physical casino and 21 percent who placed a bet on sports.

The AGA also noted that the booming levels of engagement came during a time at which “9-in-10 Americans find casein gambling to be acceptable for themselves or others.”

Additionally, 89 percent of casino guests deemed the entertainment with which they were provided to be “innovative.” 90 percent also said that casinos offer “good value” for money relative to other forms of entertainment. 

The 134 million American adults, or 53 percent of the national population, who visited a casino within the past year was also the highest one-year period on record. Growth has been linear since 2021, which was below 30 percent for the year.

Gambling benefits and awareness

For all of the money that’s generated by the gambling industry – which also means lost or paid by consumers – the general belief is that it is a net positive for the American economy.

According to the survey, 77 percent of respondents indicated that gambling was to the benefit of the nation.  That’s up from about 65 percent as recently as 2022 and about 55 percent in 2019, the year after sports betting was legalized federally.

There was also recognition of the positive local impact created by gambling. 86 percent of respondents said that casinos increased tourism and brought events, such as meetings, to nearby areas, while 82 percent said that they produced jobs and investments that couldn’t be outscoured to other countries. 

One of the recent focuses of many gambling operators has been increasing the awareness of gambling-related harm, and creating educational and treatment programs to fight those effects. 64 percent of Americans and 77 percent of land-based casino players said that they felt the gambling industry was committed to encouraging responsible behavior.

Fittingly, 72 percent of those who were polled said that they had come across responsible gambling-related messaging within the last year. That was a sharp increase from the 56 percent that was reported in 2022.