Poll Shows Growing Fears Over Problem Gambling, Predictions

It appears Americans are starting to wake up to the growth of problem gambling.

A new poll from the Research Institute at Siena University asked members of the public about their thoughts on the sports betting and prediction industries. The results showed that while more people are betting, the stance on both industries is starting to shift.

According to the Siena poll, 27% of US citizens have an active online sports betting account. It also found that one-third of the population has opened at least one online sports betting account.

Unfortunately, problematic betting habits have also been on the rise. The poll reported that 60% of bettors have “chased” a bet, which is up 8% compared to last year. The act of “chasing a bet” is when bettors place larger wagers to make up for previous losses. It is a significant red flag for problem gambling, often leading bettors to spend far more than they originally planned to.

Fortunately, the rise in problem gambling indicators coincides with an increased awareness of the issue. 

“...majorities of respondents now say online sportsbooks should not be allowed to advertise during sporting events on TV (53-33%) and that online sports betting will corrupt organized sports (56-29%) – each of which had less than 50% agreement in prior years of the survey,” according to a press release from Siena. “Respondents also say that sports commentators offering remarks on sports gambling during live games is bad for sports by a significant share of 48-29%(albeit a slight decrease from 53-26% who said this was bad for sports in 2025).”

The poll also found growing support for aggressive federal regulations to help fight gambling addiction. 

Bad News for Prediction Markets

In addition to regulated sports betting, the Siena poll also asked respondents about sports prediction markets. They found that 15% of Americans used platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket to bet on sports. 

However, 65% of those surveyed said they believe sports prediction platforms should be subjected to the same regulations as sportsbooks. That includes 73% of men aged 18-49, a key demographic for the growing industry.

While there wasn’t much support for an outright ban on predictions, the results show the public overwhelmingly views it as a form of gambling. This is the opposite of what proponents of prediction have been arguing. 

With contentious mid-term elections in November, the poll’s results could lead more lawmakers to oppose sports prediction markets.