TLDR U.S. gambling companies spent $520 million on celebrity and athlete partnerships in 2025, compared to just $60 million on responsible gambling programs. Total marketing spend across the industry reached $3.9 billion, with responsible gambling communications making up only 1.5% of that. Only 4 of 12 publicly traded gambling operators disclose responsible gambling spending as a percentage of their marketing budgets. BetMGM ranked first across sports betting, iGaming, and land-based casino categories for responsible gambling communication. AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini cite companies with more responsible gambling content more often when answering questions about player safety.
A new audit from communications firm 5W found that U.S. gambling operators spent far more on celebrity endorsements than on responsible gambling efforts in 2025. The report puts celebrity and athlete partnership spending at $520 million, roughly 8.7 times the $60 million spent on responsible gambling programs.
The firm reviewed 30 operators across sports betting, iGaming, and land-based casinos. It analyzed over 47,000 media articles, regulatory filings, and disclosures.
Total marketing spend across the industry hit $3.9 billion for the year. Responsible gambling communications made up just 1.5% of that figure.
Where the Marketing Money Goes
Television advertising was the biggest expense, at $1.42 billion. That is more than a third of total spending.
Digital advertising came next at $980 million. Celebrity and athlete deals followed at $520 million.
Earned media and public relations received the smallest share, at $90 million, or 2.3% of the total.
The report also found a disclosure gap. Of 12 publicly traded operators reviewed, only 4 break out responsible gambling spending as a share of their marketing budgets. The rest report only dollar totals or skip the breakdown entirely.
Regulator contact was limited too. In 11 of 38 legal betting markets, state officials said they