Americans increasingly see legal sports betting as a bad thing for society and sports
Key Takeaways
- A growing majority of Americans view legal sports betting as bad for both society and sports, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
- The percentage viewing it as bad for society increased from 34% in 2022 to 43% in 2025.
- The percentage viewing it as bad for sports increased from 33% in 2022 to 40% in 2025.
- Overall personal participation in sports betting has only slightly increased, from 19% to 22% in the past year.
- All growth in participation is attributed to online sports betting, which rose from 6% to 10% of adults in the past year.
A new survey by the Pew Research Center reveals that public perception regarding legal sports betting has become increasingly negative, even as awareness grows across the country. Today, 43% of U.S. adults believe legal sports betting is a bad thing for society, a significant increase from 34% recorded in July 2022, and 40% feel it is bad for sports, up from 33%. Conversely, fewer than one-in-five Americans perceive any positive impact, although a majority still maintain it has neither a good nor bad effect. Concerning personal participation, the share of adults who have placed a sports bet in the past year has only slightly risen from 19% to 22% since 2022. This modest overall increase is entirely driven by a rise in online sports betting, where 10% of adults reported placing a bet online in the last year, up from 6% in 2022. The data suggests a growing societal concern about the legalization trend, even if personal engagement remains relatively stable.
