Key Takeaways
- A 5W study found gambling operators spent 8.7 times more on celebrity endorsements than responsible gambling messaging
- The report analyzed marketing, regulatory filings, ESG disclosures, media coverage, and AI search responses
- BetMGM and DraftKings ranked among the industry’s leaders in responsible gambling communications
- The findings could increase pressure for operators to invest more heavily in player protection initiatives
A new report from the 5W Research Division is renewing the conversation around responsible gambling investment after finding that U.S. gambling companies devoted substantially more money to celebrity marketing than to responsible gambling communications during 2025.
According to the firm’s 5W Responsible Gambling Communications Audit 2026, operators allocated billions toward advertising while comparatively little was spent promoting safer gambling initiatives. The report arrives as regulators, lawmakers, and public health advocates continue pushing for stronger consumer protection across the expanding gaming industry.
Study Analyzes Responsible Gambling Messaging
The audit evaluated how the gambling industry has communicated responsible gambling initiatives over the past two years. Researchers examined sports betting operators, online casinos, and land-based gaming companies using a broad collection of public information.
The analysis included more than 47,000 earned media articles, 180 ESG reports and SEC filings, 240 regulatory filings, and approximately 2,400 AI-generated search responses across platforms such as ChatGPT and Claude.
Researchers estimated the industry spent roughly $3.9 billion on advertising and marketing in 2025. Approximately $520 million was directed toward celebrity and athlete endorsement deals, while only $60 million supported responsible gambling programs and communications, creating an estimated 8.7-to-1 spending disparity.
According to the report, that gap exceeds what is typically seen in other regulated industries with significant public health considerations.
BetMGM and DraftKings Lead Responsible Gambling Rankings
As part of the research, 5W introduced a Responsible Gambling Communications Index that scored operators on a 100-point scale based on the visibility and quality of their responsible gambling messaging.
MGM Resorts International received the highest overall score, followed by BetMGM Sportsbook, BetMGM Casino, DraftKings, and FanDuel. The report also found that BetMGM and DraftKings appeared most frequently in AI-generated responses when users searched for information about responsible gambling programs.
The rankings suggest that operators investing more heavily in responsible gambling communications may also benefit from stronger visibility across emerging AI search platforms.
Marketing Strategies May Face Greater Scrutiny
The findings come as responsible gambling continues to occupy a larger role in regulatory discussions across the United States. While sportsbooks and casino operators have expanded player protection tools in recent years, policymakers are increasingly examining whether those efforts have kept pace with aggressive customer acquisition campaigns.
Reports highlighting the difference between promotional spending and responsible gambling investment could add momentum to calls for stronger consumer protection requirements and greater transparency around responsible gaming initiatives.
Operators may also face additional pressure to make responsible gambling resources more prominent within advertising campaigns and customer communications.
AI Visibility Becomes Increasingly Important
One notable aspect of the report examined how operators are represented by AI-powered search tools. As more consumers rely on generative AI to answer questions about gambling safety and responsible gaming, companies with stronger responsible gambling communications may gain an advantage in AI-generated recommendations.
That trend could encourage operators to place greater emphasis on educational content, player protection messaging, and publicly available responsible gambling resources rather than relying primarily on traditional marketing campaigns.
Final Takeaways
The 5W Research Division’s findings highlight a significant imbalance between promotional marketing and responsible gambling communications across the U.S. gaming industry. Although celebrity endorsements remain an important customer acquisition strategy, growing regulatory attention and changing consumer expectations could encourage operators to increase investment in responsible gambling programs.
As responsible gaming becomes a more prominent factor in policymaking and AI-driven search, companies that prioritize player protection may be better positioned to adapt to an evolving regulatory and competitive landscape.
