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Is Sports Betting the New Cigarettes? GEO Explained To You Like You’re Five, And Only Half of Americans Can Access Affordable Healthcare
The latest trends in society and culture from The Harris Poll
Good afternoon from NYC.
One Interesting Number: 47. Forty-seven percent of singles say dating is “simply not financially worth it these days”, signaling that building independent wealth and investing in yourself has become the newest flex. Gen Z has had enough of ‘date-flation’, spending significantly less ($69 per date) than Millennials and Gen X ($189).
Is Sports Gambling a Public Health Crisis?
When the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, Americans wagered less than $5 billion annually. Last year, they bet $150 billion. But our new poll raises concerns for the public health implications of gambling–especially among young men.
- What we found: Hazardous gambling is correlated with increased rates of anxiety and depression, alcohol use, and poor performance in school, yet a third (33%) of 21-44 year olds told us they placed sports bets before legal age.
- The stat you can’t ignore: For some, gambling has become a reflex like swiping: Nine in ten bets (90%) are made on phones, not at casinos or racetracks. And over half are “live prop bets” during games.
- What to consider: The concern isn’t solely underage exposure, but the long-term impacts that gambling habits can have. In fact, two-thirds of Gen Z/MLS (62%) now want to use AI to predict game outcomes.
What this means: The appetite for gambling is more than a dopamine fix, but a means for many to beat a rigged system. Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z/MLS (64%) say alternative pathways are the only realistic way to build significant wealth today. And while there is significant space between causal betting and full-on addiction, millions of Americans now live in between.
AI is the New First Screen
Where did you first hear about TirTir, Badfriend, or Greedy Unit? Discovering a new brand once came from search bars and social feeds. But now we are entering the GEO era – Generative Engine Optimization:
- What we found: Half of Gen Z consumers would offload at least some of their clothing and beauty/skincare shopping to an AI agent (48% and 50%).
- The stat you can’t ignore: Traffic from generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity to retail sites shot upby 693.4% for the 2025 holiday season.
- What to consider: ChatGPT now offers ‘Shopping research,’ while DoorDash’s Zesty is a social app for discovering new restaurants. You can even enable AI agents to complete your transactions with Mastercard Agent Pay. No surprise Gen Z (63%) would rather do everything in a single AI platform.
What this means: “The consumer discovery journey is increasingly starting with AI,” says Harris’ Marie Aloi and Saskia Gregg. “In response, we expect to see marketers go beyond traditional ad spend and innovate with GEO techniques that boost visibility in Gen AI models.” Still confused? GEO explained like you’re 5 is the best title ever 🙂
Physicians Sound The Healthcare Alarm
While physicians are increasingly seeing the value of evolving technology in their practices, it doesn’t negate the stark reality of healthcare access, as seen in our fifth annual physician survey with athenaInstitute.
- What we found: Physicians’ top policy concern today is access to affordable healthcare (52%) – up 14 percentage points over the past three years.
- The stat you can’t ignore: Just half of Americans (51%) have access to and can afford quality health care.
- What to consider: Access to healthcare is no longer solely a patient issue but a critical challenge for physicians who deliver care. Only a third of physicians feel optimistic about the future of healthcare in the U.S.
What this means: “Physicians today are more receptive than ever to adopting new tools and innovative ways of working, signaling a positive shift within clinical practices,” said Nele Jessel, chief medical officer at athenahealth. “Yet persistent structural barriers — like affordability challenges, care fragmentation, and information overload — continue to shape the daily realities of care delivery.”
