US Spending on Celebrities Was Almost Nine Times Higher Than Responsible Gambling Budgets
US gambling operators invested far more heavily in celebrities and athletes than in responsible gambling programs. The 5W Research Division reached this conclusion after analyzing communications from 30 companies across sports betting, online casinos, and land-based gambling.
Researchers estimate that total industry spending on marketing and advertising reached $3.9 billion in 2025. About $520 million of that amount went to partnerships with well-known athletes, entertainers, and other public figures.
Operators directed approximately $60 million to responsible gambling programs and related communications. Celebrity partnerships therefore cost the industry 8.7 times more, while responsible gambling accounted for only 1.5% of the total marketing budget.
Television advertising attracted the largest share of spending, at about $1.42 billion. Operators invested another approximately $980 million in digital promotion. Public relations and organic media visibility received considerably less: $90 million, or 2.3% of all spending.
The audit authors also examined which gambling companies appear most often in answers from ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews to questions about responsible gambling. The leaders were BetMGM and DraftKings.
However, the frequency of mentions does not necessarily mean that these brands have the largest or most effective programs. According to 5W, the volume of published material plays an important role: the more accessible content an operator releases, the more likely it is to be found and cited by search engines and generative AI systems.
The imbalance is clear. The industry is prepared to spend hundreds of millions on public figures and advertising reach, while responsible gambling remains a small line item in the overall budget.
Olivia Grant is an iGaming news reporter at CasinosInCanada who covers casino industry updates, regulations, and market developments.
