Younger Bettors Driving Gaming Industry's Growth, Study Finds

A new research study launched by TransUnion on Wednesday revealed young wagerers are driving the development in America's gaming market.


- Online sports wagering was especially attractive to both Millennial and Gen Z bettors.


- Younger gamblers are most likely to take part in betting due to the fact that of their higher threat approval.


- Debt payments are increasing rapidly among young bettors.


The research study concentrated on gamblers who frequently ran the risk of at least $50 each month. While wagering activity was up to 30% of consumers in Q2 2025, that number rose to 34% and 42% for Gen Z and Millennial wagerers, respectively.


Both Gen Z and Millennial bettors increased their participation in online sports betting by 7% year-over-year.


Millennials increased their participation in online casino video gaming by 7%, in retail gambling establishment and retail lotto by 9%, and in retail sports wagering and online lotto by 11%.


Gen Z showed no modification for online casino involvement and declines of 1% for retail lottery game and retail sportsbook, 3% for online lotto, and 6% for retail gambling establishments.


"We've seen that in previous editions," said TransUnion senior director Declan Raines. "These specific demographics (Millennials and Gen Z), in specific within sportsbook, are extremely included from an involvement viewpoint. So, it's not a surprise to see that they continue to drive development within the sector this year. They 'd done that for the past two years, which we can confirm."


Economic elements and difficulties


Among the specifying attributes of more youthful generations is their greater level of threat acceptance compared to the older crowd.


The research study also found that consumers with the highest percentage of mobile video gaming use were younger, urban-area individuals who rented real estate units and did not have kids. These consumers were also most likely to utilize cryptocurrency, which can be utilized at a variety of online gaming platforms.


"We utilized TransUnion's marketing services to better understand the profile of routine gamblers and a pattern of monetary speculation emerged," stated Raines. "These segments were also most likely to invest for huge payoffs in the stock exchange, go on experience getaways, and make impulse purchases."


TransUnion stated the most predictive factor of consumers' willingness to gamble was the accessibility of . For example, payments such as loans and lease, the increasing cost of living, and reduced self-confidence could influence whether gamblers threat or conserve their money.


Monthly debt payments for Millennials and Gen Z consumers are up 20% and 27%, respectively. Those are well ahead of the rate of inflation (6%) and wage development (8%).