Siena Research Institute Survey Tracks Growth in Online Sports Betting Accounts

Researchers at the Siena Research Institute released new data in April 2026 that shows 27 percent of Americans now hold an active online sports betting account with major operators such as DraftKings or FanDuel, and the figure climbs to 52 percent among men ages 18 to 49, according to the latest Siena report; these numbers mark an increase from 22 percent in 2025 and 19 percent in 2024, while one third of Americans overall report having opened such an account at least once.

Participation Rates and Active Betting Patterns

The survey finds that 22 percent of adults currently engage in active betting, a share that reaches 46 percent when limited to men in the 18-to-49 age group, and these participation levels have remained largely consistent even as account ownership continues to climb; observers note that the gap between account holders and those who bet regularly suggests many users maintain accounts without placing wagers on a frequent basis. Data from the study also indicates that behaviors around betting frequency and game selection show only modest shifts year over year, although researchers recorded slight upticks in certain negative outcomes including the tendency to chase losses after unfavorable results.

Those who reviewed the full dataset point out that the increase in active accounts has occurred steadily across the three years measured, yet the proportion of people who actually place bets has not accelerated at the same pace; this pattern holds across national samples drawn from U.S. residents and reflects responses collected through the institute's established polling methodology.

Demographic Variations in Account Ownership

Breakdowns within the results reveal pronounced differences by age and gender, with men ages 18 to 49 registering the highest rates at both the account-ownership and active-betting stages; in contrast, overall adult figures sit lower because they incorporate older cohorts and female respondents whose reported engagement remains below the male 18-to-49 segment. The survey does not provide state-level splits, but the national totals already illustrate how younger male adults drive much of the observed growth in account creation.

Behavioral Trends and Reported Outcomes

While most measured behaviors stayed consistent between 2024 and 2026, the study identified small increases in reports of chasing losses, a pattern researchers tracked through direct questions about responses to recent losing streaks; these incremental changes appear alongside the larger growth in account ownership and warrant continued monitoring in future waves of the poll. The Siena findings also capture self-reported data on session length and wager size, both of which showed limited movement compared with the previous year.

Figures released by the institute place the current active-account rate at 27 percent nationally, a level reached after successive annual gains of three and four percentage points respectively; the same dataset places the lifetime account-opening rate at 33 percent, underscoring that account creation has outpaced sustained betting activity. Experts who examined the raw responses emphasize that the slight rise in chasing-losses reports remains within a narrow band and does not yet signal a broad departure from prior behavioral norms.

Context Within Broader Survey Scope

The Siena Research Institute conducts regular national surveys that cover multiple topics, and the April 2026 release focused on sports-betting metrics as part of its ongoing public-opinion tracking; responses were gathered from a representative sample of U.S. residents, allowing direct comparisons with identical questions fielded in 2025 and 2024. Because the survey uses consistent wording across waves, changes in percentages can be attributed to shifts in public behavior rather than alterations in question framing.

By August 2026 the April data continues to serve as the most recent comprehensive benchmark available, and subsequent polling cycles will determine whether the upward trajectory in account ownership persists or levels off; the current release already supplies clear year-over-year benchmarks that researchers and industry observers can reference when assessing market expansion.

Conclusion

The Siena Research Institute survey supplies concrete percentages that document rising online sports betting account ownership, stable active-betting rates, and minor increases in selected negative outcomes; these findings rest on direct responses from U.S. residents and cover the period from 2024 through the April 2026 release. The data set offers a factual baseline against which future surveys can measure additional change, and the documented demographic concentrations, particularly among men ages 18 to 49, illustrate where participation remains most pronounced.