The online sports betting industry has poured at least $72 million into the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, establishing itself as the third largest corporate donor behind only the cryptocurrency and technology sectors.
The spending spree is unprecedented for the sector and reflects the industry’s growing effort to influence gambling policy across the United States.
The money has flowed primarily through Win for America, a super PAC launched late last year with backing from DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics and UK based bet365.
The group has directed funds into two partisan affiliate PACs: the Republican-aligned American Conservative Fund and the Democrat-focused American Future.
The scale of the operation, which has already surpassed $72 million in disclosed contributions through the first two quarters of 2026, highlights the industry’s aggressive push to shape state-level gambling policy.
Since the landmark 2018 Supreme Court decision struck down the federal prohibition, 39 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting in some form.
Sports Betting Industry Targets Key State Races
DraftKings has emerged as the single largest donor, contributing at least $34 million to Win for America.
FanDuel has contributed at least $27 million, while bet365 and Fanatics have each provided $5.5 million during this two-year election cycle.
The money is not being spread evenly across the political map.
Win for America has directed much of its spending toward state legislative races in markets where mobile sports betting remains illegal, with Georgia and Texas among the top targets.
In Georgia, where the legislature is considering bills to legalize gambling, Win for America spent more than $12 million through its two smaller PACs ahead of the primary.
All but two of the 34 candidates supported by the industry won their races, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The spending in Pennsylvania appears more defensive.
Lawmakers there have been exploring tax increases on online sports betting operators to boost state aid for public transportation, prompting the industry to invest heavily in races where supportive legislators could block such measures.
The structure allows national operators to move money into state-level PACs and then into individual campaigns without facing contribution limits that apply to direct corporate political giving.
It is a layered but legal mechanism under federal campaign finance rules.
The industry’s political mobilization comes amid intensifying scrutiny of its social and economic impact.
Research shows that about 57 million Americans had an account with an online sportsbook as of February 2025, including nearly half of men aged 18 to 49.
A July 2025 U.S. News & World Report poll found that one-quarter of sports bettors said they had been unable to pay a bill because of wagers they made.
The same poll found that 30% reported gambling related debt and 12% had taken out high interest payday loans to fund their bets.
The proliferation of online betting has also raised concerns about the integrity of sporting competitions, with major scandals involving the NBA and college basketball in the past year.
In response, some members of Congress have proposed federal legislation, including the SAFE Bet Act, which would ban live event advertising and prohibit “bonus bet” inducements.
The GRIT Act would dedicate 50% of federal sports excise tax revenue to gambling addiction treatment.
The industry opposes both measures and is instead backing legislation to eliminate the excise tax altogether.
The companies’ recent expansion into prediction markets, regulated at the federal level by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, provides another incentive to influence federal policy.
DraftKings and FanDuel have both launched CFTC registered prediction products that operate in states such as California and Texas without waiting for state legislative action.
With the primary season approaching and the industry’s political war chest still growing, the 2026 midterms are shaping up as a referendum not just on partisan control of Congress.
They could also determine whether one of America’s fastest growing and most controversial industries can secure the regulatory environment it wants.
