The U.S. gambling industry is facing increased scrutiny over its marketing priorities, with new research highlighting a significant disparity in spending between celebrity endorsements and responsible gambling communications. A comprehensive audit conducted by the 5W Research Division has revealed that the industry spent 8.7 times more on celebrity and athlete partnerships than on responsible gambling programs in 2026.
This disparity is not only raising eyebrows in regulatory circles but is also influencing ESG ratings legislative testimony, and AI search citations. The audit, which reviewed 30 operators across various gambling sectors, provides a detailed analysis of how the industry communicates about responsible gambling and the potential consequences of its current marketing posture.
The Stark Spending Disparity
The audit found that the U.S. gambling industry spent a total of $3.9 billion on marketing and advertising in 2026. Of this amount, $520 million was allocated to celebrity and athlete endorsement partnerships, while only $60 million was invested in responsible gambling programs and communications. This results in an 8.7-to-1 ratio the highest of any regulated American consumer category with a public-health dimension.
For context, the ratio for the U.S. tobacco industry is below 1.5-to-1 post-Master Settlement, while the alcohol industry operates at approximately 4-to-1. The pharmaceutical industry, under FDA-mandated risk communication, runs near 1-to-1. This stark contrast underscores the gambling industry’s heavy emphasis on high-profile marketing over responsible gambling initiatives.
Key Findings from the Audit
The audit identified several critical findings that highlight the industry’s communication strategies and their potential impacts:
- The 8.7-to-1 ratio has become a significant metric in capital markets, appearing in ESG ratings and legislative testimony.
- Earned media investment is notably low, with only $90 million allocated against the total $3.9 billion marketing budget, representing just 2.3% of the total spend.
- Only four of the twelve publicly traded operators disclose responsible gambling investment as a percentage of marketing spend.
- In 11 of the 38 legal markets, state gaming commissioners receive proactive responsible gambling communications from fewer than three operators per year.
- AI engines frequently cite BetMGM and DraftKings for their strong responsible gambling programs, while six other major operators are cited in fewer than 20% of responses.
- Operators that published responsible gambling content in state media before legalization achieved faster regulatory approval in markets like Michigan, Ohio, and North Carolina.
Top and Bottom Performers
The 5W Responsible Gambling Communications Index scored each operator on a 100-point scale. The top performers include MGM Resorts International (81/100), BetMGM Sportsbook (78/100), BetMGM Casino (74/100), DraftKings (71/100), and FanDuel (66/100). On the other end of the spectrum, Las Vegas Sands (41/100), ESPN Bet (38/100), Fanatics Sportsbook (34/100), bet365 (29/100), and Stake.us (22/100) were identified as the bottom performers.
The audit recommends several strategic investments to close the gap between celebrity endorsements and responsible gambling communications. These include:
- Disclosing responsible gambling investment as a percentage of marketing spend.
- Building owned-media responsible gambling content that AI engines can cite.
- Establishing executive visibility on responsible gambling topics outside of crisis windows.
- Engaging regulators proactively in pre-legalization markets.
- Reallocating 3–5 percentage points of the marketing budget toward earned media at parity with celebrity partnerships, representing $117 million to $195 million redirected at industry scale.
The full audit is available free at /research/responsible-gambling-audit-2026/.
