U.S. gambling rate falls to 45% as moral acceptance hits new low

The drop was broad across demographic groups. About 54% of upper-income Americans (household income of $100,000 or more) said they gambled, compared with 45% of middle-income earners ($50,000 to $99,999) and 40% of lower-income adults (under $50,000).

Men reported gambling at a higher rate than women: 49% versus 40%. Among older adults (50 and older), 50% said they gambled, compared with 41% of younger adults. Women ages 18 to 49 were the least likely group, at about 35%.

State lotteries have historically been the most common form of gambling, Gallup said. For the first decade of the poll, which began in 1989, majorities said they had bought a lottery ticket. That share later settled in the high-40% range before falling to the current low.

In-person casino gambling peaked in 2003 at 30%. Gallup said the decline may reflect a shift to online gambling, which was the only category that did not see a drop. Only 4% of respondents said they had gambled online, but that figure was unchanged from prior years.

Gallup noted that reported gambling rates were higher in a parallel web survey conducted in June, which showed a 53% overall participation rate across all 13 categories. The telephone survey likely undercounts younger and more tech-enabled gamblers, the firm said.