WASHINGTON — More than half of Americans who bet on sports say they have placed wagers in hopes of winning money to pay bills, while nearly half have borrowed money to finance their bets, according to a new U.S. News & World Report survey.
The survey found 51% of sports bettors have wagered in an effort to pay bills, including 21% who said they have bet to cover their rent or mortgage.
Nearly one in five, or 19%, said they currently have debt related to sports betting, while 45% said they have borrowed money to place wagers, U.S. News reported.
The findings come as football season begins and legal sports wagering continues to expand across the United States. Americans are expected to legally wager $29.5 billion on the NFL during the season ending with the Super Bowl in February, according to figures cited by U.S. News.
Americans wagered nearly $167 billion on sports in 2025, an 11% increase from the previous year, according to the American Gaming Association.
More Than Half Bet Weekly
U.S. News surveyed 1,200 Americans who had placed a sports bet during the previous year. The survey was conducted from Aug. 31 through Sept. 3.
The results showed 57% of respondents bet at least weekly, including 17% who said they wager daily.
Individual wagers tend to be relatively small, with half of respondents reporting their typical bet is less than $25.
Betting activity was higher among respondents with household incomes of at least $100,000. Among that group, 68% said they wager weekly, while 61% said they typically bet at least $25 at a time.
Overall, 36% of respondents said they are betting more this year than in previous years, while 32% said they have reduced their betting.
45% Have Borrowed Money to Bet
The survey found borrowing to finance sports wagering is relatively common among respondents.
U.S. News said 45% reported borrowing money at some point to place sports bets. That included 13% who said they had used a personal loan to finance wagering and 11% who said they had used a high-interest payday loan.
Among all respondents, 19% said they currently have debts they attribute to sports betting. Most of those with betting-related debt owe less than $1,000, according to U.S. News.
The 19% figure represents a decline from U.S. News’ 2025 survey, when 30% of respondents reported sports betting-related debt.
The financial consequences were considerably more pronounced among frequent bettors. Among respondents who said they bet daily, 40% reported debts they attributed to sports wagering.
Some Bettors Worry About Losing Control
U.S. News found 22% of respondents said they worry they cannot control their gambling.
Among that group, 48% said they have debt they attribute to sports betting.
Despite those findings, most respondents did not report that sports wagering had harmed their overall financial health.
Only 17% said sports betting had negatively affected their finances, while 34% said it had positively affected them. About half said wagering had neither a positive nor negative effect on their financial health.
Respondents also generally did not report negative effects on their personal relationships. U.S. News found 14% said sports betting had harmed their relationships.
Some respondents told U.S. News they view betting as a social activity shared with friends or family. Others described financial losses that led to borrowing, family stress or damaged friendships.
Prediction Markets Attract Sports Bettors
The survey also found considerable overlap between traditional sports betting and the rapidly expanding prediction market industry.
U.S. News said 41% of sports bettors surveyed also participate in prediction markets, which allow participants to trade contracts based on the outcomes of future events.
Among sports bettors participating in prediction markets, 55% said they do not view the activity as different from betting.
Sports were the most popular category among those respondents, but participation extended beyond athletics. U.S. News found 45% of prediction market participants surveyed traded on current events, while 36% participated in markets involving entertainment or culture.
Rapid Growth
Prediction markets have grown rapidly. U.S. News cited a Pew Research Center analysis that found monthly trading volume increased from less than $5 billion in September 2025 to approximately $24 billion in April 2026.
The American Gaming Association expects NFL sports betting volume this season to be roughly unchanged from a year earlier, according to U.S. News. The association has pointed to both a slowdown in the number of states newly authorizing sportsbooks and growing competition from prediction markets as factors affecting the traditional sports betting market.
