Online Casino Engagement is ‘Fracturing,’ New Study Finds

^{Online casino platforms now have only seconds to capture player attention before users move on, according to new engagement data from CasinoRank's study. (Photo: Volodymyr Melnyk / Alamy)}

New data from a CasinoRank study has found that online casino players worldwide are seeking engagement more quickly and leaving casinos as soon as seconds into a session if they’re not finding what they want, 

The study looked at customer session data from 40 operators across Europe, Asia, and Latin America from early 2024 through December 2025. The results showed that session frequency was up 23% year over year, but the median session length was down 18% over the same period. Operators anticipated the possibility of these trends, but not nearly as quickly as the results point to.

Study Found Players Leave Before Gameplay Begins

According to the research, a growing number of sessions are now being abandoned even before a player ever enters a game. In particular, the data showed that added steps ahead of gameplay were causing players to stop before they entered a game. Common barriers included navigational changes within apps or casino layouts, personalization layers, and promotional overlays.

CasinoRank found that a steep drop in retention came even as response times reached just double-digit seconds.

“Engagement is not falling. It is fracturing,” Dylan Thomas, credibility lead for CasinoRank, said in a statement. “Players are returning more often, but committing less time per visit. Platforms now have seconds, not minutes, to earn the first meaningful action.”

The analysis found that these issues persisted even when players found their way into online casino games. Players were more likely to stick with games that had simple, immediately understandable gameplay features, while complex bonus structures and feature-heavy systems were less likely to retain users.

US Casinos See Drop in Session Times as Mobile Play Increases

The research follows similar findings released by CasinoRank in December that found US players were increasingly engaging with casinos in shorter sessions as the majority of users connect to online casinos via mobile devices.

The shift to shorter sessions and the need for rapid engagement could add another layer to the challenges facing the regulated iGaming industry in the United States.

Currently, the American Gaming Association and regulators are battling the rise in sweepstakes casinos, which use a dual-currency format in an effort to avoid gaming regulations an instead operate under laws governing sweepstakes. Many states have taken steps to ban these sites, including major markets like California and New York. 

However, data that shows users are spending less time at online casinos could soften the ground in some states, where opponents have fought the legalization of iGaming due to concerns over problem gambling and addiction. Currently, only eight states have legalized online casino play, with Maine being the most recent to authorize the operation of iGaming sites.