8.7 Times More Was Spent on Celebrities Than on Responsible Gambling
USA.- July 10, 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com Overview: The U.S. gambling industry spent an estimated US$520 million on celebrity and athlete endorsements during 2025, while allocating only US$60 million to Responsible Gambling programmes and communications, according to a new report by communications firm 5W. The audit highlights a significant imbalance between customer acquisition spending and player protection initiatives.
News Details
The report estimates that gambling operators invested approximately US$3.9 billion in marketing and advertising during 2025.
The spending breakdown includes:
- US$1.42 billion on television advertising.
- US$980 million on digital performance marketing.
- US$520 million on celebrity and athlete partnerships.
- US$90 million on public relations and earned media.
- Only US$60 million on Responsible Gambling communications and programmes.
Responsible Gambling initiatives represented just 1.5% of total marketing expenditure.
Industry Context
The two-year audit reviewed 30 operators across sports betting, iGaming and land-based casinos.
Researchers analysed more than:
- 47,000 media articles
- Regulatory filings
- ESG disclosures
- Corporate reports
- AI-generated responses from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews
The study found that operators with stronger Responsible Gambling communications appeared more frequently in AI-generated responses relating to player protection and corporate trustworthiness.
Statements
According to the report, companies may generate greater long-term value by investing more heavily in Responsible Gambling communications rather than relying predominantly on celebrity marketing.
The audit also ranked BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel among the operators with the strongest Responsible Gambling communication strategies.
Next Steps / Industry Impact
As regulators, investors and consumers place increasing emphasis on sustainability, transparency and player protection, Responsible Gambling communications are becoming a strategic asset rather than simply a compliance obligation.
The report suggests that future competitive advantage may increasingly depend on public trust as much as on marketing visibility.
Edited by: @_fonta
