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- A new online survey of 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by National Debt Relief found that 65% of Gen Z and 49% of millennials who regularly participate in gambling, trading, or lottery activities have attempted to use those platforms to pay off their debts.
- While the survey did not track whether the betting behavior successfully reduced debt, responsible gambling advocates highlighted that attempting to out-earn financial burdens at a casino or sportsbook is mathematically unreliable and should immediately trigger operator intervention.
A US survey of 2,000 adults found that some younger respondents reported trying to repay debt through gambling, trading, and lottery-style activities, but the underlying data does not show whether those efforts worked or whether the behavior is becoming more common.
The survey was commissioned by National Debt Relief and conducted online by Wakefield Research, according to reporting from Casino.com published on Oct. 6. The article says the release described the sample as nationally representative, but did not publish fieldwork dates, full question wording, or weighting details, limiting how far the findings can be taken.
What the survey reported
Wakefield surveyed 2,000 US adults, including 550 millennials and an expanded Gen Z sample of 500. The article said “regular participation” covered sports betting, casinos, fantasy sports, prediction markets, day trading, and lotteries.
Among regular participants, 65% of Gen Z and 49% of millennials said they had tried to repay debt through those activities.
The debt burden in the sample was also significant. According to the article, 38% of millennials and 27% of Gen Z respondents had unsecured debt of at least $7,500.
Casino.com cautioned that the survey cannot establish causation, show whether participation is rising over time, or confirm whether any respondents actually reduced or cleared debt through gambling or trading.
Why the findings matter for gambling harm
The article frames the results as a responsible gaming issue, particularly where financial stress may overlap with betting behavior. It notes that British gambling guidance treats financial difficulty as a vulnerability indicator and says a customer disclosing they are betting to pay bills should trigger consideration of potential harm.
As supporting context, the article cited the Gambling Survey for Great Britain 2024, which found 2.7% of adults scored eight or above on the Problem Gambling Severity Index. Among 18-to-24-year-olds who had gambled in the previous year, that figure was 10.2%.
The piece also pushed back on broader claims around AI. It said the published AI-related findings in the survey concerned financial questions, budgeting, and judgment-free advice, not betting tips or bankroll management.
Limits of gambling as a debt solution
The article included a simple example to underline why gambling is not a reliable way to solve debt. A casino game with a 96% theoretical return implies an average loss of £4 per £100 wagered over extensive play.
Debt charity StepChange was quoted as saying, “Gambling is not a good way to make money or get out of debt.” The article said StepChange recommends addressing debt and gambling together and noted that tools such as financial limits, time-outs, and GAMSTOP self-exclusion can reduce access or spending, but cannot make gambling profitable.
Source: As reported by Paul Skidmore.
