# Most Americans count buying a lottery ticket as gambling

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/ai/most-americans-count-buying-a-lottery-ticket-as-gambling/

> Indexed question in AI & Tech.

## Reading

The classic games of chance top the list of what Americans consider gambling: buying a lottery ticket like Powerball or MegaMillions (72%) and buying scratch tickets (71%) rank first and second among nine activities, a March 2026 Verasight survey finds.

Majorities also see playing daily fantasy sports for a prize pool (65%), trading on prediction markets like Kalshi or Polymarket (63%), playing season-long fantasy sports (60%), and filling out March Madness brackets for a cash prize (53%) the same way. Investment activities sit far lower: 32% consider trading cryptocurrency a form of gambling, 25% trading stocks, and 15% investing in a 401k, while 11% say none of these activities qualifies.

## Topline

Which of the following activities, if any, would you consider to be a form of "gambling?" For the purposes of this question, "gambling" means "the activity of playing games of chance for money, or placing wagers on the outcome of future events."

Most Americans count buying a lottery ticket as gambling.

Respondents could select more than one option, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

- Buying a lottery ticket (e.g., Powerball, MegaMillions): 72.0%
- Buying a scratch tickets: 70.8%
- Playing Daily Fantasy Sports with a prize pool (games where users set lineups of professional athletes that accure points for one game or slate of games).: 65.5%
- Trading on Prediction markets like Kalshi, Predictit, Polymarket (betting on future events like political elections).: 62.8%
- Playing Season-Long Fantasy Sports with a prize pool (games where users set lineups of professional athletes that accrue points for an entire season).: 60.4%
- Filling out "March Madness" Brackets for a cash prize: 53.0%
- Trading cryptocurrency.: 31.7%
- Trading stocks.: 24.8%
- Investing in a 401k (stock market based retirement account).: 14.9%
- None of the above: 11.2%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-03-06 → 2026-03-16
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.4%
- Module: Module 1: Technology, Finance, & Media
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-1-13](https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-1-13)

## Citation

Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.4%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-1-13](https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-1-13)