U.S. Gambling Industry Prioritizes Endorsements Over Responsible Gambling

The U.S. gambling sector's spending priorities have raised concerns, as a recent study reveals that the industry allocated significantly more funds to endorsements than to responsible gambling initiatives. The 5W Research Division's study, titled 5W Responsible Gambling Communications Audit 2026, uncovered that the U.S. gambling industry spent $3.9bn on marketing and advertising in 2025.

Of this total, a staggering $520m was directed towards celebrity and athlete endorsement partnerships, while only $60m was dedicated to responsible gambling programs and communications. This disparity results in an 8.7 to 1 ratio, indicating that the spend on endorsements was nearly nine times more than what was allocated for responsible gambling.

The study also highlighted the responsible gambling scores of various operators. MGM Resorts International led the pack with an 81/100 score, followed by BetMGM Sportsbook at 78/100, BetMGM Casino at 74/100, DraftKings at 71/100, and FanDuel at 66/100. Ronn Torossian, Founder and Chairman of 5W, commented on the findings, emphasizing the need for a stronger credibility infrastructure to match the industry's visible advertising ecosystem.