For 23% of Young US Men, Gambling Is a Daily Habit
Nearly one in four American men under 30 say they gamble every day, according to new survey data. Frequent betting also appears alongside higher levels of loneliness and self-reported distress.
Those figures come from 2,000 US men aged 18 to 29 who took part in a YouGov survey in April 2025. The Institute for Family Studies used the responses for a broader report on young men’s work, relationships, mental health and online habits.
Gambling was only one part of the research. Still, the answers around betting produced some of the report’s clearest warning signs, particularly among men who gambled several times a week or more.
Daily Betting Extends Beyond a Small Group
Some 23% of respondents said gambling was an everyday activity. A further 12% gambled several times a week. Another 21% did so less frequently, meaning gambling in some form was reported by more than half of the men surveyed.
The questions included sports betting and wagers on other events, but not stock trading. Daily gambling was particularly common among students, at 34%. The rate reached 39% among unmarried fathers and 32% among conservative respondents.
The wider survey also looked at social media, pornography and video games. Gambling differed in one important respect: regular bettors were asked directly whether the activity was creating distress or problems in their lives.
Frequent Bettors Report Emotional Strain
Men who gambled several times a week or more were asked whether online betting caused emotional distress or problems in areas such as finances, relationships, work or legal affairs. Around one in ten rated those effects as severe or extreme. Another 29% described them as moderate, while a similar share reported mild problems. Overall, roughly two-thirds of regular online gamblers said betting caused at least some emotional distress.
A separate result showed that 66% of daily gamblers said the statement “I am inclined to think that I am a failure” described them at least somewhat well. The figure across all young men in the survey was 42%.
Heavy gambling was also associated with loneliness. Among respondents who gambled many times a day or almost constantly, 34% said they felt lonely all or most of the time. The rate was 24% among those who gambled less frequently or not at all.
The Data Shows Correlation, Not Cause
The survey cannot establish which comes first: frequent betting or the problems reported alongside it. Some men may gamble because they are already struggling, while gambling may add to those difficulties for others.
What the data does show is a sizable group of young bettors who recognize problems in their own behavior. That finding is likely to add to the debate over how gambling risks are identified among younger customers.