A significant portion of US sports bettors view betting as a form of investment, and a third believe President Donald Trump’s economic policies mean they will have more money to gamble.
That’s according to a NerdWallet report that surveyed nearly 2,100 US adults about their betting habits.
NerdWallet found that one in five Americans (20%) say they have bet on sports in the past 12 months, up 67% from 12% in the past year.
The average bettor spent $3,284 on sports betting and other gambling during that time, though it’s worth noting that the median spend was much lower at $750. About 44% of sports bettors say they rarely bet more than $20.
The majority of sports bettors (65%) view the activity as a way to make extra money. A notable finding was that a significant proportion would define their betting as an investment.
The survey found that around a third of sports bettors (31%) view gambling as an investment, but four in ten (40%) report making a net profit in the last 12 months.
The study also notes that around one in seven sports bettors (14%) say they have gone into debt to gamble, almost a quarter (23%) often feel they are struggling to make ends meet, and one in five (21%) say their partner does not know how much they are spending on gambling.
“While successful gambling can be a form of extra income, it’s important to ensure you have your financial priorities in order before you take those risks,” wrote personal finance expert Elizabeth Ayoola in the report. “That means having a sufficient emergency fund in place, contributing enough to workplace retirement plans to capture an employee match and paying down high-interest debt.”
Another notable finding is that another group of sports bettors intend to gamble more this year, in part because of their political expectations.
NerdWallet found that nearly three in 10 (29%) plan to increase the amount they bet in 2025 compared to 2024.
More than a third of sports bettors (34%) believe they will have more money to gamble this year as a result of Trump’s economic policies, though the report offers no insight into respondents’ rationale.
A third of sports bettors (33%) say they factor gambling into their monthly expenses.
The survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet from December 3-5, 2024, among 2,092 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Of those, 1,535 had gambled in the past 12 months and 458 had bet on sports in the past 12 months. The sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
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