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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Online sports betting revenue reached nearly $17 million in 2025.
- Data show that sports betting is changing how fans watch and engage with sports.
US online sports betting continued to expand in 2025, with commercial revenue reaching $16.96 billion and total handle climbing to $166.94 billion, according to American Gaming Association data cited in a new report on how wagering is changing sports fandom.
As regulated markets spread and mobile access becomes routine, betting is increasingly tied to how some fans watch games, track statistics, and engage with live action.
Pew Research Center data show 10% of US adults said they had placed an online sports bet in the previous 12 months, up from 6% in 2022.
Mobile betting, live odds becoming part of viewing experience
Fans can now check scores, statistics, odds, and live updates from a smartphone while watching at home, in bars, or inside stadiums. That convenience has helped make betting part of the broader sports viewing experience, especially as live betting gives users more chances to wager during a game.
Younger adults appear to be a key part of that shift.
The Pew survey, conducted from July 8 to Aug. 3, 2025, found 17% of adults under 30 said they had placed an online sports bet in the previous year, up from 7% in 2022.
Revenue remains high even as monthly figures level off
The longer-term trend remains upward, but more recent monthly data cited from the AGA suggests growth has moderated. According to the association’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker, sports betting revenue reached $1.34 billion in May 2026, down 1.8% from May 2025.
Handle in May 2026 totaled $12.06 billion, down 0.4% year over year.
Those figures suggest the US market remains large even as month-to-month comparisons become less explosive than the gains posted in 2025. The emergence of prediction markets in 2026 could impact the industry even more moving forward.
The rise of live betting can encourage more frequent wagers, making responsible gambling decisions and a clear understanding of local rules more important for bettors.
Based on reporting by the Yonkers Times.
