Desperate younger Americans are leaning on artificial intelligence and online betting as lifelines against mounting debt, a new survey has found.
The poll, conducted by National Debt Relief and Wakefield Research among 2,000 US adults over 18, reveals stark generational divides in how people seek financial relief. Millennials and Gen Z are far more likely than older generations to treat gambling as a debt-elimination strategy and to confide in algorithms rather than humans about money troubles.
More than a third of millennials, 38%, and over a quarter of Gen Zers, 27%, saddled with unsecured debt owe $7,500 or more across credit cards, medical bills, personal loans and Buy Now, Pay Later plans. The burden runs deep enough that 60% of both age groups would sooner reveal their weight publicly than disclose their debt load.
The gambling numbers are particularly striking. A full 65% of Gen Z and 49% of millennials who gamble regularly say they have placed bets specifically to try to wipe out debt. That compares to 39% of Gen X and just 19% of boomers. Sports betting, prediction markets including Polymarket and Kalshi, fantasy sports, day trading and casino gambling have all become tools of financial desperation rather than mere recreation or addiction.
AI has emerged as an equally unlikely refuge. Sixty-nine percent of millennials and 64% of Gen Z report turning to artificial intelligence for money advice during financial struggles, dwarfing the 45% of Gen X and 23% of boomers who do the same. The survey identified “judgement-free advice” and “AI’s approachability” as key attractions.
The comfort gap with human confidants is equally pronounced. Sixty-five percent of millennials and 53% of Gen Z said they feel more at ease discussing financial woes with computers than with family and friends.
“The data shows younger Americans are willing to seek help with their finances, but where they turn for that help is changing,” Cathleen Bell, vice president of customer research and insights at National Debt Relief, said in a press statement.
Bell continued, “For those who may be a fit for debt settlement, that means developing a plan that works with their financial situation and budget.”
She added that “asking for help isn’t a sign of financial failure; it can be the first step toward regaining control and moving forward with confidence.”
The survey’s findings on gambling motivations mark a notable shift in how younger generations conceptualize risk. Where older Americans largely separate wagering from financial planning, Gen Z and millennials increasingly blur that line, treating prediction markets and sportsbooks as potential pathways out of indebtedness rather than as entertainment expenses.
The reliance on AI for sensitive financial guidance also signals evolving attitudes toward privacy and judgment in personal finance. Younger respondents appear to value the perceived neutrality of algorithms over the potential embarrassment or social consequences of admitting money problems to people they know.
National Debt Relief, a debt settlement company, commissioned the research with Wakefield Research to examine how Americans across generations navigate financial hardship. The results suggest traditional frameworks for understanding both gambling behavior and financial advice-seeking may inadequately capture the experiences of adults under 40.
The poll did not specify which AI platforms respondents used or track outcomes for those who gambled to pay down debt.