A U.S. News survey found that 51% of 1,200 sports bettors wager to pay off bills.
The survey, which ran between Aug. 31 and Sept. 3, found that 57% bet weekly, nearly matching last year’s study.
More than 20% planned to use betting to cover rent or mortgage payments, while 18% used it to pay credit card debt. Another 18% used wagering for unexpected costs. More than 5% said they used betting to pay student loans, while another 2% used wagering to pay tuition.
Missouri is the only new jurisdiction to launch legal sports betting in the U.S. since last year’s survey. There are currently 39 states and Washington, D.C., with legal online sports betting, retail sports betting, or both.
