Gambling industry spent 9 times more on celebrities than on responsible gambling

Spending on celebrities and responsible gambling

According to the 5W Research report, in 2025 the US gambling industry spent $520 million on celebrities and athlete partners.

Spending on responsible gambling programs and communication amounted to only $60 million, representing a ratio of 8.7:1 of user recommendations to messages about responsible gambling.

Total marketing spend and responsible gambling index

The total budget for marketing and advertising in the sector amounted to $3.9 billion in 2025.

The responsible gambling communication index rated operators on a 100‑point scale. The highest scores were: MGM Resorts (81), BetMGM Sportsbook (78), BetMGM Casino (74), DraftKings (71) and FanDuel (6M Casino (74), DraftKings (71) and FanDuel (66). The lowest – Las Vegas Sands (41), ESPN Bet (38), Fanatics Sportsbook (34), bet365 (29) and Stake.us (22).

Events and recommendations

ESPN Bet ceased its operations in 2025, while Stake.us faces several lawsuits over accusations of unregulated gambling and the activities of its ambassadors.

The report proposes five investments: disclosing responsible gambling spending as a percentage of the marketing budget, creating content that AI engines can cite, visibility of top management on responsible gambling topics outside crises, proactive dialogue with regulators in pre‑legal markets, and reallocating 3‑5% of the marketing budget to earned media, which corresponds to $117‑$195 million industry‑wide.

In addition, Penn State launched a responsible gambling course, and a Carnegie‑Mellon professor teaches a class on sports betting, emphasizing probability, addiction, cognitive biases, and the business model of US bookmakers.