New data shows casino visitors have gotten nearly a decade younger since 2019, with the average now being 42 years old. A survey of 2,000 Americans reveals what those between 35 and 44 are doing to stay at the table, from borrowing from family, maxing credit cards, selling possessions and keeping it from the people closest to them.
The average age of a casino visitor in the United States has fallen from 49.5 to 41.9 years old since 2019, according to figures from the American Gaming Association, a drop of nearly eight years in half a decade. The casino industry is not just growing; it is pulling in an entirely different generation.
What that generation looks like up close is the subject of new research by the online poker and iGaming experts at VIP Grinders, which asked US adults questions about how they gamble, how they fund it, and what they tell the people around them. The results, broken down by age, point consistently to Americans in their mid-30s to mid-40s, now the core casino demographic, carrying a financial burden that most of those closest to them know nothing about.
11 MILLION AMERICANS ARE HIDING GAMBLING LOSSES FROM SOMEONE CLOSE TO THEM
Among Americans aged 35 to 44, 25.1% always or often hide gambling losses from a partner or family member. Applied to the US population, that is an estimated 11 million people routinely concealing what their gambling is costing them.
The figure sits above the national average of 21.2% across all adults and above the 55+ bracket, where just 8.3% say they always or often hide losses. The generation now walking through casino doors is simultaneously the most active and the most secretive.
HOW THEY ARE FUNDING IT
The survey asked respondents about seven non-cash methods used to fund gambling. For the 35 to 44 age group, every single one comes in above the national average.
|
Funding method |
Percentage aged between 35 and 44 |
National average |
Estimated people (35-44) |
|
Credit card |
30% |
25.4% |
13.5 million |
|
Borrowed money |
19.5% |
16.6% |
8.8 million |
|
Overdraft |
14.1% |
12.1% |
6.3 million |
|
Sold possessions |
11.5% |
9.4% |
5.2 million |
|
Pawned items |
9.5% |
7.9% |
4.3 million |
|
Cryptocurrency |
10.7% |
9% |
4.8 million |
|
Payday loan |
7.1% |
6.3% |
3.2 million |
To read the full report and survey data, please see the blog here: https://www.vip-grinders.com/research/us-gambling-survey/
Nearly 9 million Americans between 35 and 44 have borrowed money specifically to fund gambling. More than 5 million have sold personal possessions to keep playing. Over 3 million have taken out a payday loan to do so, a figure that rises to 9.6 million when looking at those who always or often use debt to gamble in the same bracket.
NEARLY ONE IN FIVE GAMBLES DAILY AND LOSES MORE THAN THEY WIN
The 35 to 44 group gambles an average of 6.68 times per month, more than the national average of 5.77 and significantly more than the 4.24 sessions recorded among those aged 55 and over. 20.2% gamble daily or multiple times a day, equivalent to around 9 million Americans in this age group alone.
Their average biggest single-session loss stands at $5,212 – more than double the $1,910 recorded among over-55s. Their average biggest win is $10,412. On paper, the wins look larger. But those wins are being funded increasingly by credit, debt, and borrowed money – suggesting the real cost is considerably higher than any single session figure captures.
THE INDUSTRY CONTEXT
The casino industry the 35 to 44 generation is being drawn into is growing at pace. The global casino market is projected to reach $349.73 billion in 2026, up from $328.48 billion the year before. US commercial casinos generated $50.94 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2025 alone.
Slots – the biggest single revenue driver at $37.12 billion in the US last year – generate 70% of their income from the losses of just 5% of players, according to GambleAware’s interim synthesis report. The survey data does not identify who that 5% are. But it does show that the generation now at the centre of the industry’s growth is borrowing, pawning, and hiding losses at rates above the national average across every metric measured.
Joao Mourato, Head of iGaming Product at VIP Grinders, said:
“When one in five Americans in their late 30s and early 40s is hiding gambling losses from a partner or family member, you are not looking at isolated problem behaviour. You are looking at a culture where gambling has outpaced the conversation around it.
“Social media and influencer culture have reframed gambling as a financial strategy. That messaging skips the part where most people lose, and it creates shame around admitting losses. The data is clear: the older generation already treats gambling responsibly – 72% of Americans over 55 never use debt to gamble. The generation now filling casinos has not got there yet, and they will not get there through bans. They will get there through better information.”
Source:
VIP Grinders https://www.vip-grinders.com/research/us-gambling-survey/
About the survey: VIP Grinders surveyed 2,000 US adults between May 5 and 7, 2026, via online panel. The sample covered all 50 states and Washington D.C., with respondents across five age groups (18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+).
About the casino statistics: The average casino visitor age figures are sourced from the American Gaming Association. The global casino market size ($349.73 billion, 2026) is sourced from Market Data Forecast. US GGR and slots revenue figures are from the American Gaming Association’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker 2025. The 70% slots revenue concentration figure is sourced from GambleAware’s interim synthesis report, as cited in VIP Grinders’ Casino Statistics 2026 research page.
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