US Gaming Market Sees Deposits Surge, Player Retention Collapse
According to the new U.S. Gaming Pulse Report for October 2025 by Optimove, the United States online gaming market showed extreme volatility. The data, which tracks 3.2 million U.S. monthly players, confirms a significant 17% jump in average deposits driven by the return of professional football. However, the report also revealed an alarming trend: U.S. player retention rates collapsed by 15 percentage points in a single month.
Volatile US Market Bounces Back
The analysis compares the U.S. market against global averages over a 12-month period. U.S. players are characterized as high-value but highly seasonal. They deposit more than twice as much and bet more on both sports and casino games compared to the global average.
After a low point in September 2025, the U.S. market saw a strong rebound in October across major engagement metrics, all pointing to the influence of the fall sports season.
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Average Deposits: The average monthly deposit amount in the U.S. jumped from $425 to $499, a 17.4% increase month-over-month. This is an 11.7% increase compared to October of the prior year.
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Sports Betting Volume: The average monthly sports betting amount rose from $754 to $867.
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Activity Days: The average number of activity days per player increased from 7.1 to 8.1.
In contrast, the global market remained stable. Global average deposits saw only a slight dip from their 12-month high of $236 to $229 in October, which is consistent with the long-term global average of $220.
Casino Engagement Hits 12-Month Low
While the sports market showed a sharp recovery, the U.S. casino sector demonstrated weakness. Global casino bettors are in a clear growth phase, showing a 12-month average of 108% growth compared to the baseline.
In the U.S., however, the casino market appears to be contracting.
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Casino Bettor Base: The U.S. casino bettor base shrank to just 86% of the October 2024 baseline, down from 87% in September and marking a 12-month low.
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Casino Betting Volume: The average total monthly casino betting amount also hit a 12-month low of $6,725 in October. This drop from a March peak of $8,807 may be linked to economic concerns faced by U.S. consumers.
Retention Crisis Signals Churn
The most concerning finding in the report is the dramatic drop in U.S. customer retention. The retention rate, which measures how many active bettors remain active the following month, shows instability.
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Retention Crash: After reaching a 12-month high of 75% in September 2025, the U.S. retention rate plummeted to 60% in October. This 15-percentage-point crash suggests significant player churn despite the seasonal return of sports bettors.
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Global Stability: Global customer retention is flatter and more reliable. The global rate remained at a high 73% in October, consistent with its long-term average of 71%. This stability is a key differentiator from the boom-and-bust cycle seen in the U.S. market.
Overall, the report suggests the U.S. gaming sector relies heavily on seasonal sports activity to drive deposits and betting volume. This dependency creates high volatility and risks high churn among players who do not transition to casino games. The report is based on analysis of billions of data points across more than 300 global operators.
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