According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), the U.S. gambling industry made around $72 billion in total revenue in 2024. If you include tribal gaming, the figure goes up to around $115 billion. The main reason for this unprecedented growth is that more Americans and NFL fans than ever before allocate their entertainment budgets to the legal, regulated gaming market.
Over the years, NFL fans have always created deep connections with the game through fantasy leagues, watch parties, and prop bets. But as things developed, large numbers of NFL viewers started playing casino-style games at online casino sites alongside NFL betting and fantasy football management.
The $72 billion total revenue realised in 2024 accounts for a 7.5% increase. The report from AGA provides a comprehensive, annual overview of the commercial casino gaming industry in each of the 38 jurisdictions with legal commercial casino gaming or sports betting.
Statista now projects that the US gambling market will experience an annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2030) of 4.61%, resulting in a market volume of US$69.56bn by 2030. This growth will be fuelled by the rise of state-level legalisation, technology innovation, and growth in mobile betting adoption.
In states like New Jersey, online casino games have been legal since 2013. Sports betting plays a big role in the growth of online gambling in the U.S. Many sites use it to bring in players, who then try other games like slots or blackjack. Some people also check out top non-GamStop casinos, which offer more freedom and fewer limits. These options help keep players engaged for longer.
Technological advancements and the surge in smartphone usage have played a giant role in the growth of the US gambling industry. Mobile-first casino experiences have simplified gameplay and made casino-style games easily accessible from anywhere and at any time.
As such, many operators now offer sports betting alongside casino content, including themed slots and in-play mini-games that have a direct appeal to football fans. For example, in 2025, merch giant Fanatics announced it would launch a stand-alone casino app as it expands its gambling business. The move by sports brands to venture into iGaming has brought about huge customer databases and loyalty programmes that make cross-selling casino products far easier.
Cross-platform engagement can increase fan retention. A viewer who wagers on NFL games is more likely to open an online casino app on non-game days, and this can boost lifetime value.
A survey conducted by NerdWallet says that one in 5 Americans (20%) placed a sports bet in the past 12 months. Compared to a 2023 survey, where 12% of Americans had placed a sports bet in the past year, an increase of around 67%.
Among those who follow major sports leagues like the NFL, the option to play casino-style games in the same app is usually tempting. For the most part, casino games in these environments exist as complements to sports betting. Interest often spikes around NFL team performance, as fans place bets based on outcomes, matchups, and momentum. It creates a seamless experience where entertainment, competition, and betting all come together in one place.
By 2024-2025, the online gambling industry, including online casinos and betting, was already generating billions of dollars in revenue. This shows it’s a large and valuable market. Given the current situation, the growth of online gambling is expected to continue strongly for years to come. This is because online casino games are becoming popular for the same reasons that mobile sports betting exploded in popularity, which is improved technology and easier access.
This shift has raised concerns about marketing exposure, vulnerable groups, and the boundary between entertainment and habitual play. Critics have warned of top sports like the NFL becoming a “second-by-second gambling opportunity”. That’s because fans are bombarded with gambling logos and adverts, especially during high-profile games.
One of the reasons the US gambling industry has surged is that the Supreme Court overturned a federal ban on sports betting in 2018. Sports betting is legal in 38 states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. That’s why operators are spending billions of dollars to attract users in the already competitive market through ads, billboards, and sponsorship deals.
Campaigns often highlight rising NFL stars in promotional content, blurring the line between sports fandom and betting engagement. There are now calls for the US to introduce federal legislation to regulate gambling marketing in sports. This includes defining how gambling marketing should appear in sports and potentially limiting the volume of gambling messages allowed per broadcast.
According to Andrew Billings, director of the University of Alabama’s sports communication programme, the US might need both national legalisation and consistent regulation. He believes this could help combat the early signs of rising sports gambling addiction.
As things stand, NFL viewers now have more ways to interact with football content, from legal sportsbook bets to quick casino sessions. Still, as NFL fandom becomes a multichannel experience, the choice to engage with casino-style games online comes with responsibility.
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