A recent report revealed that the U.S. gaming market is still far outpacing that of the global average.
The Optimove U.S. Gaming Pulse Report for June 2025 revealed trends in different gambling behaviors, including deposits, betting sizes, and activity.
Key Takeaways
- The study evaluated nearly 25 million American and global players
- Americans deposited and wagered significantly more money than global customers
- Global players committed more time to and had higher retention with gambling operators
The report analyzed data from more than 3.2 million U.S. casino and sports betting consumers, and 21.3 million gamblers worldwide.
According to the findings, American bettors deposited an average of $589 during June. That was 2.6 times higher than the global average and represented an eight percent year-over-year increase for American bettors. Global deposit averages also increased eight percent YoY to $211.
American casino bettors also wagered significantly more money than the global average. The report found that they risked $8,114 per person during June compared to the worldwide average of $1,328, or 17.4 percent of the American average.
The increased focus on marketing and expansion also paid off for gambling companies. American casino patrons increased by 38 percent year-over-year during June compared to 14 percent globally.
Conversely, the global customer base showed more loyalty to operators. Their retention was recorded at 69 percent compared to American players’ 64 percent.
The global gaming market also produced an average of 8.6 active days for its players compared to 7.7 percent for the American audience.
Sports betting is lucrative business in the U.S.
Sports betting, which is legal and live in 38 states and Washington D.C., was a much more lucrative business in the United States than it was worldwide. American players risked an average of $932 during June, 2.7 times higher than the global average.
However, the $932 figure represents a nine percent YoY decrease. The global average also decreased, but only by seven percent.
Both American and global audiences revealed similar trends in the decline in customer base during June, with the American audience dropping by 14 percent and the global base declining by 12 percent YoY.
June is part of the “dead season” of professional sports, during which the NBA and NHL seasons conclude, the NFL is out of season, most prominent soccer leagues are on break, and college sports haven’t begun. However, that does not explain the YoY decline.
Optimove, the group behind the study, is a B2C marketing technology partner for sports betting and iGaming companies.
Skepticism remains for iGaming
Since sports betting was legalized in 2018, the majority of states across the country allocated their resources to opening a legal sports betting market. Missouri will soon join the 38 live state markets when it launches ahead of its Dec. 1 deadline.
With only 11 states remaining, the next source of expansion could come from iGaming. Only seven states – Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia – offer legal online casino gaming.
Several states have discussed the possibility of legalizing, though significant action has not occurred. Skeptics also fear that expansion would contribute to rising problem gambling rates and would cannibalize retail casinos’ profits.
