Americans are increasingly concerned about the growing influence of the sports gambling industry and remain wary of its effect on the games they watch, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll. These negative trends cut across almost all groups — including, notably, the most ardent sports fans and bettors themselves.
Overall, 36 percent of Americans say the increasing number of states allowing people to bet on sports is “a bad thing” — up from 23 percent in 2022 — while the share of those saying it is “a good thing” declined from 23 percent to 14 percent. Roughly half of Americans (49 percent) are neutral on the question of good versus bad, down from 54 percent three years ago.
