MIAMI, July 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – The U.S. gambling industry invested $520 million in celebrity and athlete partnerships in 2025, dwarfing its spending on responsible gambling programs and communications, which amounted to just $60 million, according to the 5W Responsible Gambling Communications Audit 2026.
What Happened
The 5W Research Division’s comprehensive 24-month audit, released today, found that the U.S. gambling industry allocated 8.7 times more to celebrity and athlete endorsements than to responsible gambling (RG) initiatives and communications in 2025. This ratio is significantly higher than other regulated American consumer categories with public-health dimensions, such as tobacco (below 1.5-to-1), alcohol (approximately 4-to-1), and pharmaceuticals (near 1-to-1).
The audit analyzed 30 operators across sports betting, online casino & iGaming, and land-based casino sectors. Data sources included over 47,000 earned media articles, 180+ ESG disclosures and 10-K filings, 240+ state regulator filings, and 2,400+ AI engine queries across major platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews.
Overall, the U.S. gambling industry spent $3.9 billion on marketing and advertising in 2025, with celebrity endorsements constituting 13.3% of this budget, while responsible gambling received only 1.5%.
Key Details
- Spending Disparity: $520 million on celebrity and athlete endorsements vs. $60 million on responsible gambling programs and communications in 2025.
- Ratio: 8.7 to 1, the highest among regulated American consumer categories with public-health implications.
- Total Marketing Spend: $3.9 billion on marketing and advertising in 2025.
- ESG Impact: The 8.7-to-1 ratio is now appearing in ESG ratings (Sustainalytics, MSCI), legislative testimony, and AI search citations. No publicly traded operator has issued a specific defense of this ratio in investor communications.
- Earned Media Underinvestment: Only $90 million (2.3%) was spent on earned media, contributing to 34% of branded search results not being operator-controlled.
- ESG Disclosure Gap: Only 4 of 12 publicly traded operators disclose RG investment as a percentage of marketing spend.
- Regulatory Asymmetry: In 11 of 38 legal markets, state gaming commissioners receive proactive RG communications from fewer than three operators annually.
- AI Citation Gap: BetMGM (78%) and DraftKings (64%) dominate AI responses for strongest RG programs, with six other major operators cited in fewer than 20% of responses.
- Pre-Legalization Advantage: Operators publishing RG content in state media before legalization achieved faster regulatory approval in Michigan, Ohio, and North Carolina.
- Top RG Performers (5W RG Communications Index): MGM Resorts International (81/100), BetMGM Sportsbook (78/100), BetMGM Casino (74/100), DraftKings (71/100), FanDuel (66/100).
- Bottom RG Performers: Las Vegas Sands (41/100), ESPN Bet (38/100), Fanatics Sportsbook (34/100), bet365 (29/100), Stake.us (22/100).
Why It Matters
As Ronn Torossian, Founder and Chairman of 5W, stated, “The gambling industry has built the most visible advertising ecosystem in American consumer marketing in five years. It has not built the credibility infrastructure to match it.” The audit underscores a critical disconnect between the industry’s aggressive marketing spend and its commitment to responsible gambling. This imbalance is no longer merely a marketing metric but a significant factor in capital markets, increasingly influencing ESG ratings and legislative scrutiny. The findings suggest that companies with a stronger commitment to transparent and proactive responsible gambling communications are better positioned for regulatory approval and positive public perception, while others face increasing risks to their reputation and financial standing.