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State of Play’s TL;DR
- A new industry audit says US gambling operators spent about $520 million on celebrity and athlete partnerships in 2025, compared with roughly $60 million on responsible gambling programs and communications.
- The report also found that responsible gambling accounted for just 1.5% of total marketing spend.
Deadspin reported on an industry audit from communications firm 5W that reviewed 30 companies across sports betting, online casino, and land-based casino sectors in the US. The audit analyzed more than 47,000 media reports, regulatory documents, ESG disclosures, and AI-generated search results.
According to the report, operators spent an estimated $520 million on celebrity and athlete partnerships in 2025. Spending on responsible gambling programs and communications was estimated at about $60 million.
That means celebrity endorsement spending was around 8.7 times higher than responsible gambling spending.
Why it stands out
The audit placed those figures inside a much larger advertising picture. Total gambling advertising and marketing spend in 2025 was estimated at roughly $3.9 billion. Television was the biggest channel at approximately $1.42 billion, followed by digital performance marketing at around $980 million. Earned media and public relations spending was estimated at $90 million.
Among the report’s other findings, responsible gambling initiatives represented 1.5% of total marketing spend. Of 12 publicly traded operators examined, only four reportedly disclosed responsible gambling investment as a percentage of marketing expenditure.
The report’s main takeaway is not just the size of the spending gap. It is also the difference in visibility and disclosure.
The audit says many state gaming officials receive limited proactive communication about responsible gambling initiatives. That matters in a national market where major operators are competing heavily for attention across sports betting and online casino products.
The study also highlighted differences in responsible gambling communications visibility among operators. BetMGM ranked highly in the sports betting category in the Responsible Gambling Communications Index, while DraftKings and FanDuel were also listed among the better-performing operators in that area.
The findings suggest that some operators are doing more than others to make those efforts visible.
Based on reporting by Ian Valentino for Deadspin.
