National Survey Tracks Steady Rise in Online Sports Betting Participation

The Siena Research Institute at St. Bonaventure University released findings in April 2026 from its American Sport Fanship Survey, and those numbers show participation in online sports betting has climbed again. Conducted between February 16 and 27, the poll reached 3,084 U.S. residents through an online panel, and the results place the share of adults who currently maintain an active account at 27 percent. That figure sits above the 22 percent recorded the previous year and the 19 percent measured in 2024, while an additional 6 percent of respondents said they had opened an account at some point even if they no longer use it regularly.

Participation Rates and Yearly Comparisons

One in three Americans, or 33 percent, reported having created an online sports betting account at least once, which indicates the total reach of these platforms extends beyond those who keep an active profile today. Observers note the upward movement has continued without interruption across the three years of tracking, and the latest data release places the current active-user rate at its highest point in the series. The survey questions focused specifically on accounts used for placing wagers on sporting events through digital platforms, separating those users from people who bet only in person or not at all.

Indicators of Risk Among Active Bettors

Among respondents who identified as current bettors, 60 percent acknowledged chasing losses by placing additional wagers in an attempt to recover earlier setbacks, an increase from the 52 percent who gave that answer in 2025. Separately, 31 percent said another person had expressed concern about their betting activity, compared with 23 percent the year before. These two measures appear in the same section of the questionnaire that asked about frequency of play and emotional responses to outcomes, and the year-over-year shifts are presented without interpretation by the researchers who compiled the tables.

The questionnaire also captured views on policy measures that could affect the industry. Majorities of all respondents, not only bettors, indicated support for prohibiting advertisements during live sports broadcasts and for expanding federal oversight aimed at reducing compulsive gambling. Exact percentages for those policy questions appear in the full crosstabulations released alongside the topline results, yet the summary statement confirms that both proposals received backing from more than half the sample.

Survey Design and Scope

The American Sport Fanship Survey is fielded annually by the Siena Research Institute in partnership with the Jandoli School of Communication, and the 2026 edition maintained the same sampling approach used in prior waves. Questions on betting accounts were embedded within a broader instrument that also examined sports media consumption and fan identification, allowing analysts to examine correlations between those variables and wagering behavior. Because the study relies on an online panel, the findings reflect the population reachable through that method during the late-winter fieldwork window, and weighting procedures were applied to align demographics with U.S. Census benchmarks.

Context for May 2026 Discussions

By May 2026 the April data release had already circulated among state regulators and industry analysts who track digital wagering volumes. Several state gaming commissions referenced the Siena figures when preparing public comments on proposed advertising rules, and the reported increase in accounts that show signs of chasing losses supplied one data point in those conversations. The survey itself does not project future participation levels, but its three-year trend line supplies a factual baseline for anyone examining how adoption has evolved since the widespread legalization wave that began in 2018.

Conclusion

The Siena Research Institute report supplies a single-year snapshot that continues an established time series on online sports betting accounts. Participation stands at 27 percent active users with 33 percent having opened an account at least once, while two behavioral indicators among bettors have moved higher since the previous measurement. At the same time, the poll records majority support for specific restrictions on advertising and for stronger federal oversight. All of these points rest on the responses collected from more than three thousand adults in February 2026, and the full dataset remains available through the institute’s site for further examination.