(AsiaGameHub) – If the latest poll from Ipsos is any indication, the initial enthusiasm for legalized gambling in the United States might be waning. The survey indicates that a significant majority of Americans (56%) now believe sports betting compromises the integrity of sports, a figure that has risen by seven points since November 2025 and 19 points since 2023.
The poll, which surveyed 1,020 U.S. adults between March 20 and 22, revealed that opposition to online or app-based sports betting within one’s state now surpasses support, with 44% opposing compared to 25% supporting. This marks a first since Ipsos started monitoring the issue.
Even among individuals who identify as sports fans, opposition to permitting online or app-based sports betting in their state is higher than support, at 47% versus 31%.
Approximately half of Americans now perceive sports betting as having a detrimental effect on bettors (52%), society (50%), college athletes (47%), and professional athletes (46%).
With the experience of watching sports increasingly resembling being in a sportsbook, the poll indicates widespread frustration among Americans, with 46% favoring a federal prohibition on sports betting advertisements during games.
These findings suggest the industry is grappling with a significant reputational challenge as public confidence steadily declines.
Growing Skepticism Among Americans Regarding Sports Betting
The primary findings from Ipsos imply that the discussion surrounding sports betting has evolved beyond mere consumer choice or entertainment considerations.
Americans are almost equally split between those who believe individuals should have the freedom to gamble on sports and spend their money as they wish (50%) and those who contend that sports betting is harmful due to its promotion of addictive behaviors (47%).
These results mark a distinct change from previous years, when roughly three out of five Americans supported the idea of individuals being free to gamble as they chose.
Official sports betting participation among Americans has also decreased, with only 8% reporting having placed an official bet on a live sporting event online or via an app in 2025. This figure represents a decline from 15% in November 2025 and 11% in February 2025.
In-person betting participation also experienced a decline, falling from 10% in November 2025 to 4% since the start of 2026.
Nevertheless, 3% of Americans indicated they had purchased a sports event contract via a prediction market this year, suggesting this emerging form of wagering might have influenced the reported figures for conventional sports betting.
Consistent Concerns Revealed by Multiple Recent Polls
The Ipsos poll aligns with a broader trend of a growing credibility deficit observed in various significant studies. Over the past year, multiple scandals within U.S. professional sports leagues have led the public to doubt the influence of betting on the impartiality of the competitions they follow.
Speaking to CasinoBeats, sports integrity expert Rodrigo Arias Grillo stated that a loss of fan trust in a sport can have devastating consequences. He cautioned:
Should stakeholders begin to perceive competitions as compromised, it fundamentally damages the essence of any sports association.
Arias Grillo cited Italy’s 2006 Calciopoli scandal as an illustration of the repercussions when fans lose faith in a league. Following the revelation of match manipulation involving club officials and referees, Italian soccer’s reputation suffered significantly.
Although no U.S. sports league has yet reached the degree of distrust observed in Italy’s Calciopoli scandal, recent polling indicates that organizations like the NBA, MLB, NCAA, and others should heed fan sentiment regarding these issues.
Multiple polls have demonstrated a decrease in confidence in athletic competitions due to sports betting:
- NBC News Decision Desk: A poll released in December 2025 revealed that 70% of Americans somewhat or strongly concurred that betting diminishes game integrity.
- YouGov: This survey, published in early November, indicated that 65% of the public thinks athletes occasionally or frequently modify their performance to favor bettors.
- Sacred Heart University: A poll released in mid-November demonstrated that 79.1% of sports bettors lost trust in the NBA after recent investigations.
The consistent findings across these polls imply that Americans are experiencing more than just scandal fatigue; increasingly, it appears that professional sports leagues in the U.S. are facing a credibility crisis.
As Arias Grillo noted, once widespread suspicion takes root, restoring trust among fans and stakeholders becomes considerably more challenging.
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