The market research company Ipsos has looked into how Americans actually feel about the prevalence of sports betting, with nearly half believing that sports betting lessens the integrity of the game.
According to the company, Americans have become increasingly concerned about the industry’s impact yet the share of people who have placed a bet on a live sporting event has doubled since 2023.
In 2025, 15% of the participants say they placed an official bet on a live sporting event through online means or via an app, while 10% say they did so in person.
Despite concerns about the impact of sports betting, the percentage of Americans betting on a live sporting event doubled since 2023. As more people engage with sports betting, platforms must ensure that their users are aware of how to gamble responsibly.https://t.co/Bv7UnoWlW2 pic.twitter.com/KUVoDvAwjD
— Ipsos US (@ipsosus) January 14, 2026
This study lines up with what has been seen across the industry, with the numbers for participating steadily climbing.
American sports fans want sports leagues and broadcasters to take the lead
It appears the marker has work to do though, as nearly half (47%) of Americans support a ban on sports betting ads during games. Sports fans have been found to be slightly more likely than the average American to support such a measure.
“However, both groups are less supportive of the government taking action to ban these ads. Americans want sports leagues and broadcasters to take the lead, not legislators,” Ipsos says.
Some big sporting events are coming up this year (the Winter Olympics, the Super Bowl and the World Cup), which for some Americans means betting big in the months ahead. Sports betting has become increasingly popular in the U.S. in recent years https://t.co/FvR0sT1X2T pic.twitter.com/wcUwaLM10w
— Ipsos Public Affairs (@ipsospa) January 16, 2026
When asked about the integrity of the game, the attitude that sports betting lessens it has also risen since 2023, even amongst sports fans.
“When it comes to the perception that sporting events are rigged due to sports gambling, there’s a pronounced generational gap, with older Americans considerably more likely to be concerned.”
While it’s clear sports betting is no longer a niche issue, the Ipsos Care-o-Meter showed that around half of Americans had heard about the recent arrests of an NBA player and coach in an FBI gambling investigation.
Despite this knowing about what’s going on in the industry, the consensus was that they cared about that less than most other major issues in the news, but more so than pop culture headlines.
Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram
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