Online gambling demographics are changing, but not always in the ways we might expect. Age, gender, location and gambling preferences all influence participation, making it difficult to identify a single profile of the typical online gambler.
Who is most active in online casino and sports betting? Are Millennials still leading, or is Gen Z catching up? And how do gambling statistics by age and gender differ between markets?
To explore these questions, we examine recent findings from gambling regulators and research institutions in Great Britain, Spain and the United States, alongside evidence from emerging markets.
One distinction matters throughout: participation rates, shares of active players and betting activity are different measurements. Understanding what each statistic represents is essential to interpreting online gambling demographics accurately.
Age Demographics: Key Statistics of Gambling by Generation
Age remains a useful starting point for understanding online gambling habits. However, different gambling activities attract different age groups, and participation patterns vary across countries.
iGaming & Online Casino Players (Ages 31–40 Lead)
Adults in their late twenties, thirties and early forties are an important segment of the gambling market, although the evidence does not establish that the 31–40 age group dominates online casino activity worldwide.
According to the UK Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain 2025, adults aged 25–44 recorded the highest participation rate in gambling other than lottery-only activities over the previous four weeks, at 33%.
This figure covers several gambling activities, rather than online casino alone. Nevertheless, it illustrates the importance of examining specific age groups instead of treating the youngest adults as the dominant audience across every gambling product.
The picture changes when looking specifically at online sports betting.
A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 17% of American adults under 30 had placed an online sports bet in the previous year, compared with 7% in 2022.
These findings reinforce an important distinction: age demographics should be analysed by gambling product, market and time period. A leading age group in one segment may not lead in another.
Esports Betting: Gen Z & Millennials Dominate
Esports betting offers an interesting perspective on generational differences, with younger adult bettors accounting for a significant share of activity.
According to the Global Esports Betting Monitor: Q4 & FY24, published by Sharpr in collaboration with Abios and based on data from the Kambi network, Gen Z and Millennials accounted for the vast majority of esports betting activity in 2024.
The report highlights three findings:
- Gen Z (18–27): accounted for 44% of esports betting activity in 2024, up from 36% in 2023.
- Millennials + Gen Z (18–43): together represented 87% of esports betting activity in 2024.
- By title: in Q4 2024, Counter-Strike bettors averaged 31 years of age, compared with 29 for League of Legends bettors.
These figures are particularly interesting because they reveal differences even within esports betting itself.
Counter-Strike and League of Legends attract audiences with different characteristics, demonstrating why operators should examine individual esports titles rather than treating the entire category as a single demographic segment.
The results should not be interpreted as a worldwide census of esports bettors. They reflect betting activity recorded within the Kambi operator network during the reporting period.
For sportsbook operators, understanding these distinctions can inform product selection, market research and the organisation of their esports offering.
Operators exploring this vertical can also review our guide on how to create a sports betting app and start a sportsbook business.
Gender Breakdown: The Shifting Balance
Online gambling has traditionally been associated with a predominantly male audience, particularly in sports betting. Recent demographic research continues to show a gender gap, but its size varies significantly across markets and gambling products.
In Spain, for example, women represented 16.9% of active online gambling players in 2024. However, their numbers increased by 23.5% compared with the previous year, according to data published by the Spanish gambling regulator in 2026.
This distinction matters: a market can remain predominantly male while female participation grows. Looking only at the current gender distribution may therefore overlook changes taking place within the player population.
Age also adds another dimension. In Spain, nearly six in ten active female online players were under 35, highlighting why gender and age demographics should be examined together.
For operators, understanding these patterns means looking beyond a single male-to-female ratio. The relevant questions are how participation is evolving, which gambling products different audiences use and whether those changes are consistent across markets.
Casino & Sportsbook Players
The latest official statistics continue to show significant differences between male and female gambling participation.
In Great Britain, the Gambling Survey for Great Britain 2025 found that 20% of men and 12% of women participated in online gambling activities other than lottery-only play during the previous four weeks.
Spain offers another perspective.
According to the Spanish gambling regulator’s report on female online players, published in 2026 using 2024 administrative data, women accounted for 16.9% of the country’s active online gambling players.
The Spanish dataset measures accounts meeting defined activity conditions, whereas the British figures measure participation among surveyed adults. Their percentages should therefore not be compared as though they represented the same indicator.
Together, they demonstrate why gambling statistics by gender need clear definitions and geographical context.
Sports & Fantasy Betting
Sports betting presents its own demographic characteristics.
In its 2025 study of American sports betting, Pew Research Center found that 25% of men and 19% of women had placed a sports bet in the previous year.
These figures include online wagers, bets placed in person and informal bets with friends or family.
Looking at online sports betting specifically, among adults aged 18–29, 21% of men and 16% of women reported placing an online sports wager during the previous year.
This difference illustrates why the gender balance of the wider betting market should not be treated as identical to that of digital sportsbooks.
For fantasy sports and esports betting, additional product-specific data is needed before drawing conclusions about gender participation or changing audience preferences.
Millennials vs. Gen Z: Key Statistics of Gambling Habits
The comparison between Millennials and Gen Z remains an important part of the discussion around online gambling demographics.
However, the two generations should not be treated as uniform groups with fixed spending habits, risk preferences or attitudes towards responsible gambling.
Age, income, market access and the availability of legal betting services can all influence observed behaviour.
Recent statistics of gambling habits show why separating products and measurement periods is essential.
In the United States, Pew Research Center reported that online sports betting participation among adults under 30 increased from 7% in 2022 to 17% in 2025.
Meanwhile, the British gambling regulator’s 2025 survey found that adults aged 18–24 participated in a wider variety of gambling activities than older groups, averaging 3.6 different activities among those who had gambled in the previous four weeks.
This does not establish that Gen Z spends more, bets more frequently or generates greater revenue than Millennials. It does suggest that younger adult participation deserves closer examination across different gambling categories.
What should operators take from these findings?
- Product preferences: sportsbook, casino and esports audiences should be studied separately.
- Digital experience: mobile usability and accessible navigation matter, but their impact should be measured rather than assumed from age alone.
- Payment behaviour: local payment preferences require market-specific evidence, not generational stereotypes.
- Responsible gambling: safeguards, spending limits and appropriate player protections should be accessible across adult age groups.
Rather than assuming that one generation is replacing another, operators should evaluate how different audience segments engage with their products over time.
Implications and Emerging Trends
Gambling statistics by age and gender can help operators understand market differences, but demographic data becomes more useful when combined with actual product and operational information.
Mature Players Remain an Important Audience
The evidence from Great Britain shows that adults aged 25–44 have comparatively high participation in gambling beyond lottery-only activities.
However, participation is not equivalent to spending, profitability or retention. Operators need their own reliable data to assess customer value and engagement.
Gender Differences Require Market-Specific Analysis
The British and Spanish datasets highlight substantial differences in how online gambling participation is measured and distributed.
Operators should examine demographic patterns within their own regulated markets rather than applying a global gender ratio to every product.
Esports Betting Deserves Separate Research
Esports betting is often discussed alongside younger gaming audiences. Yet audience interest in competitive games should not be confused with verified betting participation.
Product-specific research remains essential when evaluating its commercial potential.
Responsible Gambling Applies Across Generations
Responsible gambling should not be framed exclusively as a preference of one generation.
The UK Gambling Commission’s 2025 findings on gambling-related consequences also demonstrate why age-specific patterns of harm deserve careful attention.
Operators should provide appropriate protections across their customer base while accounting for relevant regulatory requirements.
Ultimately, online gambling statistics become most valuable when they are interpreted alongside market conditions, product usage and clearly defined performance indicators.
What Gambling Statistics Reveal About the Market
The latest gambling statistics by age and gender reveal a varied picture.
Adults in their twenties, thirties and early forties represent important segments across multiple gambling activities, but there is no single age group that can be described as the worldwide leader in online gambling.
Gender differences remain significant, although the scale of those differences varies by market, product and measurement method.
At the same time, growing online sports betting participation among younger American adults illustrates how digital gambling habits can change over time.
For iGaming operators, the lesson is straightforward: demographic statistics are a starting point for understanding players, not a substitute for market-specific research.
As more reliable data becomes available, comparing clearly defined populations and gambling activities will remain essential to understanding online gambling demographics and making informed business decisions.
About the Data and Sources
This article draws on publicly available research and official statistics from the UK Gambling Commission, Spain’s Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego and Pew Research Center.
The studies cover different countries, survey periods and gambling activities. Some figures describe population participation rates, while others describe the distribution of active online players.
These results should not be combined to estimate a global demographic distribution.
Last editorial review: October 2026.
