Responsible gaming has long been central to lottery. What is changing is the environment around it.
Lottery, casinos, sports betting, online gaming and emerging options such as prediction markets are giving Americans more ways to play. Scientific Games’ 2025 Healthy Play research found that among surveyed Americans who are not morally opposed to gambling, 83% participated in at least one gambling activity during the past year—the highest level recorded by the research since the pandemic.
This rapid expansion makes player protection a shared responsibility across the gaming industry. As the industry recognizes Responsible Gaming Education Month, this edition of Data in Motion examines what the research tells us about healthy participation, the limits of awareness alone and the roles lotteries and vendors play in advancing player protection.
83% of surveyed Americans who are not morally opposed to gambling participated in at least one gambling activity during the past year.
Understanding Healthy Play
Scientific Games launched Healthy Play research with Lotto Research in 2021. Since then, 16 states have participated, contributing to a national benchmark that examines player attitudes and behaviors within the broader gaming environment.
The research provides an encouraging starting point: the majority of lottery players participate responsibly. Players in the healthiest segments tend to report lower stress and greater happiness and are more likely to view lottery as entertainment rather than a financial strategy or primary activity.
Together, the findings help define the attitudes and behaviors associated with healthy participation—not only potential risk.
What Have We Learned from Healthy Play Research?
- The majority of lottery players participate responsibly.
- The “healthiest” lottery players report lower stress and higher happiness.
- Healthy players view lottery as entertainment — not a primary activity or financial strategy.
- Those most at risk for problem gambling are also the most well-versed in responsible gambling.
- Younger Americans are more aware of responsible gaming messaging than people age 45+.
A More Complex View of Player Behavior
Healthy participation is only part of the picture. The research also demonstrates the value of understanding behavior across the broader gaming environment.
In the 2025 study, 31% of surveyed Americans were classified within higher-risk segments, consistent with the previous year’s research. People in these segments were more likely to participate in multiple forms of gaming. For many respondents reporting gambling-related issues, sports betting was the activity most frequently associated with those concerns. Two-thirds of participants in the highest-risk segment also expected to increase their sports betting spending in 2026.
31% of surveyed Americans were classified within higher-risk segments.
2 in 3 participants in the highest-risk segment expected to increase their sports-betting spending in 2026.
The purpose of looking across gaming activities is not to attribute risk to one product or category. It is to recognize that people may participate in several activities and that their overall behavior can change even if their participation in any one category appears relatively stable.
This broader perspective gives lotteries additional context for evaluating their responsible gaming programs and helps vendors consider how their products and platforms can support player protection.
Awareness Is Important—But It Is Not the Finish Line
One of the more revealing findings from the Healthy Play research is that familiarity with responsible gaming does not necessarily translate into healthy behavior.
Players at greater risk of gambling-related harm are often among the most well-versed in responsible gaming information. Younger Americans also report greater awareness of responsible gaming messaging than those age 45 and older.
The industry has made progress in creating awareness, but awareness alone does not demonstrate that a message is personally relevant or influences behavior.
The 2025 research provides additional insight into how messages resonate with different player segments.
Among players in the low risk segment, 84% rated “never put gambling ahead of family, friends or financial commitments” as effective. Among players in the highest-risk segment, 76% rated “take a break or stop if play stops being fun” as effective.
Responsible Gaming Message Effectiveness by Player Segment
| NATIONAL BENCHMARK | High Risk Segment | Moderate Risk Segment | Low Risk Segment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Never put gambling over your family and friends or your financial commitments. | 73% | 67% -6 pts |
63% -10 pts |
84% +11 pts |
| Not letting play interfere with work or family obligations. | 71% | 69% -2 pts |
65% -6 pts |
80% +9 pts |
| Setting a budget and playing only within your financial means. | 70% | 69% -1 pts |
65% -5 pts |
82% +12 pts |
| It’s important to me that my lottery operates responsibly. | 69% | 76% +7 pts |
66% -3 pts |
79% +10 pts |
| Taking a break or stop playing entirely if playing stops being fun. | 67% | 76% +9 pts |
61% -6 pts |
77% +10 pts |
Survey question: How effective is each responsible gaming message? Five-point scale: 1 = not effective; 5 = effective
How to Read: Point differences are calculated against the national benchmark. Top 2 Box = % rating 4 or 5.
The results show that perceptions of effectiveness differ across segments. While the ratings do not establish that a message changes behavior, they can help lotteries evaluate which language different audiences consider relevant and guide further research into what supports healthier decisions.
Turning Research Into Action
Research can identify patterns, test assumptions and show how attitudes differ across player segments. Lotteries and vendors then have distinct but connected roles in applying those insights.
The Lottery’s Role
Lotteries have the direct relationship with their players and responsibility for the policies and programs that govern play. Research can help inform decisions about:
- Emerging player behaviors and potential risks
- Responsible gaming education and messaging, including which messages resonate with different player segments
- The availability and configuration of player-protection tools
- Responsible gaming across retail and digital products
- Program evaluation over time
Accessible resources are an important part of that work. The Healthy Play research found that 29% of surveyed Americans knew someone experiencing a gambling problem and wanted to help. Among that group, 60% reported successfully providing assistance, with finding resources online the most frequently cited action.
How Americans Helped Someone Experiencing a Gambling Problem in 2025
- 42% Found resources online to help
- 35% Helped them spend less time/money gambling
- 31% Shared 1-800-Gambler
- 29% Contacted another problem gambling helpline
- 26% Attended Gamblers Anonymous meetings with them
(Respondents could select more than one answer.)
The finding reinforces the practical value of making credible information and support easy to find. Lotteries are best positioned to determine how those resources are communicated to their players and integrated into their broader responsible gaming programs.
The Vendor’s Role
Vendors have a corresponding responsibility to give lotteries the capabilities and information needed to put their policies into practice. Regulatory and certification requirements are the baseline; player protection should be considered from the beginning of product and platform development.
For vendors, that can include:
- Applying responsible gaming considerations during game development and review
- Building configurable spending, session and other controls into player account management platforms
- Providing access to play history
- Supporting lottery-established limits, policies and responsible gaming protocols
- Researching changing player attitudes and behaviors
Data and AI may create additional opportunities to identify patterns that signal changes in play and give lotteries better information. Their use must reflect lottery policy, privacy protections, transparency and human oversight. Data should inform decisions, not replace professional judgment.
Protecting an Industry Strength
Responsible gaming is one of lottery’s longstanding strengths. It is part of the trust lotteries have built through public oversight, accountability and their commitment to generating funding for beneficiary programs and good causes.
Healthy Play research measures that relationship through national benchmarking. The findings indicate that awareness of lottery beneficiaries and winners is associated with stronger trust, although perceptions vary by market.
Trust and Reputation vs. National Benchmarks
| The lottery does a good job promoting responsible gaming helplines & websites. | Lottery proceeds fund good causes in my state. | My state lottery is an organization I trust. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL BENCHMARK | 47% | 46% | 40% |
| LOTTERY 1 | 44% -3 pts |
41% -5 pts |
35% -5 pts |
| LOTTERY 2 | 48% +1 pt |
40% -6 pts |
36% -4 pts |
| LOTTERY 3 | 56% +9 pts |
58% +12 pts |
46% +6 pts |
| LOTTERY 4 | 49% +2 pts |
55% +9 pts |
41% +1 pt |
Survey Question: Please indicate on a scale how much you agree with the following statements, where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree.
How to Read: Each lottery is compared with the national benchmark for the same measure. Top 2 box % agree | Difference shown in percentage points
Final Word
Lottery has earned trust through its commitment to responsible gaming, public accountability and public purpose. As gaming options expand, maintaining that trust will require moving beyond awareness to make player protection more relevant, practical and embedded in the experience.
Research provides the evidence. Lotteries translate that evidence into policy and program decisions. Vendors support those decisions through responsible product design, configurable tools and technology. Protecting players—and preserving what makes lottery different—depends on both.
CONTRIBUTORS
Simon Jaworski is the Founder and CEO of Lotto Research and is in his 26th year providing insight and analysis to the Lottery industry. This summer, Simon volunteered for FIFA at the World Cup in NJ, and in his spare time teaches soccer as a C License coach.
Andy Jackson has been with Scientific Games for 27 years. He enjoys Association Football and socializing with friends and family. Andy is an avid concert-goer, and this summer, finally checked off a 50-year bucket list item by seeing the Sex Pistols live.