Is the Integrity of Sports Betting at Risk? What Recent Polls Say
The May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that opened the door for all states to offer Las Vegas-style sports betting was eagerly embraced by lawmakers across the country who saw a lucrative new source of revenue that could be mined without having to raise taxes on all state residents.
But in the past year or two, more and more American citizens seem to have soured on the concept - with news of sports betting scandals matched with information indicating that compulsive, potentially life-ruining gambling has risen significantly.
Overton Insights poll on American attitudes towards sports betting
Now a national survey undertaken in May 2026 by the Overton Insights polling company has only underscored that changing sentiment, now that 39 states have authorized the gambling.
To the question of "Do you support or oppose legalized sports betting in your state?", only 16% said they strongly supported it - while 32% strongly opposed it.
Adding in "somewhat" support or “somewhat” oppose raised the numbers to 31% support and 47% oppose, with the remaining 22% saying they were not sure or had no opinion.
Opinions based on political parties
Political independents were the most sympathetic to sports betting, as 26% strongly supported it while 33% strongly opposed it.
With "somewhat" respondents factored in, independents overall expressed 36% support and 55% opposition.
The "strongly oppose" figure was virtually identical across political lines - the difference was that among independents, far fewer of them (only 9%) said they were "not sure" or "had no opinion.
The greatest opposition came from those who identified as Democrats, with only 12% "strongly support" and only 26% with any support at all. While 23% of Democrats "somewhat oppose" sports betting legalization, only 4% of Republicans said the same.
Nearly one-third (32%) of Republicans responded that they were "not sure" or had "no opinion" on the issue.
The poll also asked respondents to weigh in on state spending for university athletic departments, gasoline prices, teacher’s unions, the popularity of various prominent political figures, their preliminary favorites for the 2028 Democratic and Republican Presidential nominations, a potential military draft, artificial intelligence, and several other issues.
Poll methodology
The survey was sponsored by Overton Insights and conducted by employees of Overton Insights.
Respondents were recruited from a voter-file sample of registered voters with available cell phone numbers.
A total of 125,317 text-message invitations were sent between May 16 and May 20, 2026, and 1,377 completed interviews are included in the final dataset.
Respondents who entered the survey completed a self-administered online questionnaire in English. No incentive or compensation was offered for participants’ time.
Siena poll on Americans' gambling habits
An April 2026 poll conducted by the Siena Research Institute (SRI) and St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School of Communication in New York mainly focused on which Americans are most likely to gamble.
The poll found that 52% of men age 18 to 49 have an active account with a mobile sportsbook. Conversely, only 4% of those age 65 and over said the same.
While 39% of men polled said they have an account, only 16% of women polled said that they did. Overall, 27% of Americans have an active account - up from 19% in 2024 and 22% in 2025.
Why do they gamble?
"Fun and exciting" was the top reply at 92%, followed by "makes me more interested in watching the games live" at 89%, and a potentially alarming 85% saying they "thought they could make money placing bets."
The enjoyment of researching statistics in an attempt to make more successful wagers was cited by 85% of gamblers, while "betting small amounts on parlays, futures, or other bets that pay a lot more than you bet if you win" was cited by 83% of those polled.
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Chasing bets
Responsible gambling experts warn against "chasing" bets, meaning continuing to place bets after a losing day in hopes of getting all the money back. The number of bettors who acknowledge having made this effort rose from 52% in 2025 to 60% in 2026.
Similarly, the 63% of bettors who said in 2026 that they have bet a total of $100 or more in one day is up from 56% in 2025.
“Has anyone expressed concern to you about your level of gambling?” In 2025, 23% said yes - and in 2026, 31% of bettors had the same response.
There also have been modest rises in the percentage of those who say they at times bet more than they should, and that they have felt bad or ashamed after losing a bet.
Legal gambling, an active part of life for many Americans
“The results show that online sports betting remains an active part of life for a significant portion of Americans,” said Don Levy, SRI’s director.
But the Siena poll found that by a 50% to 33% margin, those polled agreed that sports betting should be legal in all 50 states. That number is very similar to the responses for several previous years.
“Legal and accessible gambling is perhaps the defining issue facing the sports world in the 2020s," said Dr. Brian Moritz, associate professor and sports journalism master’s program Director at the Jandoli School. "What our survey shows is that sports fans have a complicated relationship with sports gambling.”
Sacred Heart University poll
Earlier in May, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut hosted an event that referenced a Sacred Heart University poll that found that nearly 40% of respondents said that partnerships between sports leagues and sportsbooks have made them more skeptical of injury reports of officiating.
Blumenthal told a local TV station that “My advice to everyone especially young people is to learn more about the industry and how their technology, their tactics are designed to exploit weaknesses.
"And literally in seconds, they can promote and pitch another bet especially if people are losing. They don’t want more bets from winners, they want to promote bets to people who are losing.”
Poll opinions on sports betting
The same poll found 58% support for restrictions on live-event advertising, and nearly 70% favor at least some limits on prop betting.
Gambling has a negative impact on the integrity of college basketball, according to 56.9% of those polled. A majority also expressed concerns about whether college athletes may be pressured by gambling activity, and that those athletes face a higher risk of problematic gambling behavior.
In terms of integrity, the NFL is by far the most trusted league, while the NBA is the least trusted league.
NCAA Men’s March Madness betting intent is highest in the Midwest (38.6%) and lowest in the West (21.0%).
How many people gamble and why do they do it?
According to the poll, just over 1/3 of respondents gamble, and a similar number reported that they know of someone who has been negatively affected by gambling.
The key motivations to gamble, according to the poll, are winning money (68.4%) and entertainment (62.7%). Additionally, more than 70% said they sometimes watch sporting events solely because they have risked money on the outcome.
