State of Fun Report: 57% Said Cost Blocked Fun

Dave & Buster’s State of Fun Report found that 57% of surveyed adults said cost and budget kept them from making fun plans.

Dave & Buster’s released its first State of Fun Report on May 12, 2026, alongside 10 new games. The company commissioned the study, which Talker Research ran online between April 21 and May 1, 2026. It surveyed 5,000 U.S. adults with internet access.

The report said: “Together, the findings point to a clear gap: people want more fun in their lives but need experiences that are exciting, easy, and affordable.”

Nearly half of respondents, 48%, said their lives were currently lacking fun, the New York Post reported. More than half, 55%, said low-cost options would make them more motivated to “prioritize fun.”

What got in the way

Money topped the list of roadblocks. The Post framed the finding as Americans lacking enough money to make fun plans that summer.

It tied that to higher gas and restaurant prices, citing extra fuel costs since the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February. The Post said drivers faced gasoline prices approaching $5 per gallon, and that restaurant menu prices had risen more than 30% since 2020 because of labor costs and supply inflation.

Schedules got in the way too. NBC Right Now reported that about a third of respondents cited their personal schedule and nearly a third their work schedule, while others pointed to friends’ and family’s lack of time, burnout and not knowing what to do.

Plenty of people said having fun was harder than it was a decade earlier. A big share said they had come up with a fun activity only to scale it back or cancel because something came up.

Respondents who wanted more fun estimated they needed 17 additional hours a week. A smaller group said they could not remember the last time they had a full free day to enjoy themselves.

The payoff of fun was not in question. Respondents said it helps reduce stress, increases motivation and makes them feel closer to loved ones, and most said having fun with others leads to healthier, stronger relationships.

A sizable group also wished there were more exciting things for adults to do. The survey asked about how often respondents had fun, their preferred activities, barriers and what could help them make fun a priority.