A new research study launched by TransUnion on Wednesday exposed young bettors are driving the growth in America's gaming market.

- Online sports wagering was especially appealing to both Millennial and Gen Z bettors.

- Younger bettors are most likely to participate in gaming since of their higher risk approval.

- Debt payments are increasing quickly amongst young wagerers.

The study concentrated on bettors who routinely risked a minimum of $50 each month. While wagering activity was up to 30% of consumers in Q2 2025, that number increased to 34% and 42% for Gen Z and Millennial wagerers, respectively.

Both Gen Z and Millennial bettors increased their participation in online sports betting by 7% year-over-year.

Millennials increased their involvement in online gambling establishment gaming by 7%, in retail casino and retail lottery game by 9%, and in retail sports wagering and online lottery game by 11%.

Gen Z showed no change for online gambling establishment involvement and reductions of 1% for retail lottery and retail sportsbook, 3% for online lottery, and 6% for retail casinos.

"We have actually seen that in previous editions," said TransUnion senior director Declan Raines. "These specific demographics (Millennials and Gen Z), in particular within sportsbook, are hugely included from an involvement viewpoint. So, it's not a surprise to see that they continue to drive development within the sector this year. They 'd done that for the previous 2 years, which we can verify."

Economic factors and challenges

One of the specifying attributes of more youthful generations is their greater level of threat approval compared to the older crowd.

The research study also discovered that customers with the greatest percentage of mobile gaming use were younger, urban-area people who leased housing systems and did not have kids. These consumers were likewise most likely to use cryptocurrency, which can be utilized at a variety of online betting platforms.

"We used TransUnion's marketing options to better understand the profile of routine bettors and a pattern of financial speculation emerged," stated Raines. "These sections were likewise more likely to invest for big payoffs in the stock market, go on experience getaways, and make impulse purchases."

TransUnion stated the most predictive factor of consumers' desire to gamble was the availability of discretionary earnings. For instance, payments such as loans and rent, the increasing expense of living, and lowered self-confidence might influence whether bettors risk or save their money.

Monthly financial obligation payments for Millennials and Gen Z customers are up 20% and 27%, respectively. Those are well ahead of the rate of inflation (6%) and wage growth (8%).