TLDR Nearly a third of Gen Z is using or considering crypto, sports betting, and prediction markets to reach financial goals, per Northwestern Mutual’s 2026 study. 80% of Gen Z investors in these assets believe they offer a faster path to wealth than traditional methods. Only 32% of Polymarket traders have turned any profit, with 92% of winners earning $1,000 or less. Despite rising financial nihilism, the share of Americans feeling financially secure rose 6 points year-over-year to 50%. Inflation remains the top barrier to financial security for 42% of Americans, ahead of lack of savings and personal debt.
Young Americans are increasingly turning to crypto, sports betting, and prediction markets because they feel financially behind, according to a new study from Northwestern Mutual.
The company’s 2026 Planning & Progress Study, published March 9, found that nearly one in three Gen Z adults are either using or considering these high-risk financial tools.
The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll between January 5 and January 21, 2026. It included 4,375 US adults.
Among Gen Z respondents investing or considering investing in these assets, 80% said they believe such platforms offer a faster route to their goals than traditional methods. Across all US adults in that group, the figure was 73%.
Northwestern Mutual’s chief field officer John Roberts described a growing sense of “financial nihilism” among those feeling most at risk.
Roberts said some people feel they haven’t saved enough and aren’t earning the returns they want. So they decide to “swing for the fences,” he said, including betting on things like whether Jesus will return before the end of 2026 on prediction markets.
Prediction Market Data Paints a Grim Picture
Data from Polymarket suggests the odds are stacked against most traders on these platforms.
Only about 32%