iGaming
$10.7B in 2025, up 27.6%
Seven states produce all of US iGaming revenue. Together they out-earn the UK's entire online gambling sector with about 60% of its population.
The map
Seven live states.
Live: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Connecticut, West Virginia, Delaware and Rhode Island. Maine has legalized and not launched. New York, Massachusetts and Illinois are weighing bills.
Each new state roughly follows the same curve. Operators already on air next door get there first.
The read
What matters in this market.
December 2025 was the first billion-dollar month
US iGaming cleared $1B in a single month for the first time. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, online casino revenue now beats land-based casino revenue.
The map is the growth story
If New York, Illinois and Massachusetts pass bills, the addressable population roughly doubles. Brands with awareness in neighboring markets start ahead.
Measurement is cleaner here than almost anywhere
State licensing gives you a natural test and control. Launch TV in one state, hold out comparable markets, and read incremental registrations and first-time depositors directly.
Nearly 3x the UK per head
US per-capita iGaming spend runs close to 3 times the UK and is growing far faster. Ontario, the closest comparison, grew iGaming 40% in 2025.
Live iGaming states
| State | Population | 2025 note |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 13.0M | $3.46B, the largest US market |
| Michigan | 10.1M | Top-three market |
| New Jersey | 9.5M | The pioneer market |
| Connecticut | 3.7M | Two operators, high spend per head |
| West Virginia | 1.8M | Established and underbought |
| Rhode Island | 1.1M | Newest live market |
| Delaware | 1.0M | First state to legalize |
Why TV here
Built for this category.
Entertainment and news, not only sport
iGaming converts across entertainment, factual and news at broader dayparts and lower CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) than live sport. It gets planned differently from sports betting.
Compliance built into delivery
CTV geo-fences at household level, so ads run in licensed states only, documented and auditable. Linear is planned by DMA against your licence map.
The media
What you can reach.
How it's bought
Four routes in. Two are yours.
Most US networks need a US-registered entity, US credit or a US agency of record (AOR) before they'll take an order. Element Media Direct is a US company and can be that AOR.
| Route | Timing | Read |
|---|---|---|
| The upfront | 12 to 18 months ahead | Big annual commitments. The wrong door for a market entrant. |
| Scatter | 2 to 13 weeks ahead | Your linear entry. Flexible, market-priced, includes local DMA buys. |
| Programmatic CTV | Days | Fastest way in. Geo-fencing built in. Minimums around $25K to $50K. |
| Managed service | Weeks | Direct with Hulu, Peacock, Amazon and YouTube. Minimums around $100K. |
What it costs
Directional CPMs.
CPM is cost per thousand impressions. These are typical 2026 ranges; your plan gets real quotes.
| Format | Typical CPM | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Live sport (NFL, NBA) | $9 to $40+ | The most expensive inventory in US TV, and the strongest betting adjacency |
| Broadcast primetime | $6.50 to $30+ | Mass reach and the trust that comes with it |
| Premium CTV | $6.50 to $30 | Geo-fenced, measured, brand-safe |
| Programmatic CTV | $4 to $23 | The workhorse of a compliant launch |
| National cable | $2 to $18 | Efficient frequency |
| AVOD (Tubi, Pluto, Roku) | $3 to $15 | Cheap incremental households |
| Local broadcast and cable | $1.50 to $10 | State-level and DMA-level reach at regional cost |
Live in 30 days
Signature to on air.
Map and plan
Legal map confirmed. Target states, audiences and budget set. A plan across linear DMAs and CTV. Creative brief agreed.
Produce
Script to finished spot. Broadcast-ready creative is included, with compliance and responsible-gaming elements built in at production.
Clear and book
Network clearances secured. CTV built with state geo-fencing. Linear placements booked.
Launch and measure
CTV goes live and linear flights start. The measurement baseline is set on day one.
Measurement
TV you can hold to a number.
Weekly reporting on cost per first-time depositor (FTD), by state, daypart and creative. If TV isn't paying back, you'll hear it from me first.
Geo-level incrementality
Matched-market tests across DMAs and states. The cleanest way to show TV caused the growth.
Impression-level CTV data
Every impression logged by household geography, feeding cost per first-time depositor (FTD) by state, daypart and creative.
Spike analysis
Minute-by-minute response in downloads, site traffic and branded search after each linear spot.
Marketing mix modeling (MMM)
TV's contribution read alongside every other channel, so budget follows evidence.
The US TV Playbook for Gaming OperatorsFree download
The US TV Playbook
All 7 categories mapped. Who can advertise where, how US TV is bought, what it costs, and how to measure it so finance signs off.
Contact
Tell me what you're trying to do in the US.
You'll talk to me directly. If TV isn't the right next dollar for you, I'll say so.