Gambling Firms Spend Far More on Celebrity Deals Than Player Protection
The U.S. gambling industry spent around $520 million on celebrity and athlete partnerships in 2025, according to a new report from communications company 5W.
This was about 8.7 times more than the estimated $60 million spent on responsible gambling programs and related communication.
The report reviewed 30 sports betting, online casino and land-based gambling companies over two years. Researchers analysed more than 47,000 media reports, regulatory documents, ESG disclosures and AI-generated search results.
Overall gambling marketing spending reached about $3.9 billion in 2025. Television advertising was the largest category at $1.42 billion, followed by digital marketing at around $980 million. Responsible gambling activity represented only 1.5% of total marketing spending.
The audit also found that many operators provide limited details about their player protection budgets. Only four of the 12 public companies reviewed reported responsible gambling investment as a share of marketing spending.
BetMGM received the highest score in the report’s Responsible Gambling Communications Index. DraftKings and FanDuel also performed strongly, while ESPN Bet, Fanatics Sportsbook and bet365 ranked near the bottom of the sports betting category.
The study also looked at AI search results. Operators with more published responsible gambling content appeared more often in answers about player safety and brand trust.
The findings suggest that responsible gambling communication may affect more than customer protection. It could also influence regulatory relations, investor confidence and how AI systems describe gambling brands.
A separate YouGov survey found that around 70% of U.S. adults said celebrity endorsements did not change their opinion of gambling products.
