The U.S. online casino sector is experiencing rapid growth, driven by a surge in player signups for mobile-only platforms and bonus-heavy sweepstakes-style apps.

01 November 2026

Credit the rise of Fanatics Casino:

Fanatics, which launched a dedicated app in May 2024, debuted in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia, offering a mobile-first design available on iOS and Android. Other new entrants like PlayStar Casino have also touted their mobile-first UX as a key selling point, positioning the format as a standalone product rather than a mobile addition to an existing desktop-focused site.

While specifics are not provided in industry reports, guides commonly outline the signup flow as tapping a "PLAY NOW" button, entering personal details, confirming location, completing KYC to comply with regulations, and then making the first deposit. New player bonuses, which may require promotional codes, are a key acquisition driver for these platforms.

Sweepstakes-style casinos are growing even faster, with industry reports finding 16% monthly player growth in the sector in mid-2024 versus 5% for real-money online casinos. Analysts project the sweepstakes segment will hit $11 billion in 2025, up from $3.1 billion in 2022, as the "promotional contest" model allows for broader state availability than real-money gambling. So long as a free method of entry is offered, sweepstakes casino operators can claim they are not engaging in gambling activity.

However, regulators are questioning the legality of sweepstakes casinos. In 2024, even as overall use was growing, Montana enacted a full ban on social casinos.

Additionally, while sweepstakes players are signing up at a faster rate, they are converting to paying customers at a much lower rate (12% vs. 51% for real-money users) and have a much smaller average monthly deposit ($263 vs. $878). The lower purchase conversion rate means in the long run, the value of those new players is limited.

Nevertheless, a mobile-first UX designed around bonuses, in-app payments and mobile-only offers plus promotional incentives are emerging as an effective acquisition strategy in an increasingly competitive US online gaming market. Both sweeps-style social casinos and the regulated real-money operators will likely be competing on these axes.