The raft of revenue releases from sports-betting and online gaming states shows how regulation of sports-betting and gaming has benefited consumers, operators and state coffers.
This is shown in high profile states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania and smaller ones like Iowa and Indiana.
For sports bodies it has also been a major boost at a time when fans are unable to attend live matches.
AGA data
However, data collected by the American Gaming Association also shows there remains work to do when it comes to educating US consumers.
The AGA’s national survey of expected sports betting activity for the 2020 National Football League (NFL) season showed that an estimated 33.2 million American adults, or approximately 13%, plan to bet on NFL games this year.
The return of NFL action has been hugely welcome by bookmakers and the industry at large.
The AGA said the data showed “the continued value sports betting provides to leagues through fan engagement, even when fan interest is otherwise down”.
Previous AGA research has also shown that sports bettors are more interested in the NFL than any other professional sports league (93%).
The NFL stands to gain $2.3bn annually from legal sports betting, largely due to increased fan engagement.
The AGA survey found that 34% (11.3 million adults) of the respondents planned to place a bet through both legal and illegal online platforms, up from 29% last year.
Educating consumers
Interestingly, and revealing of how widespread unregulated sportsbooks are across the US, 18% of the bettors said they would bet with an unregulated book, either in person or via a mobile platform.
This represents a substantial rise on the 12% of respondents who said they would do so last season.
One explanation for this trend is another AGA survey that showed that 55% of sports bettors who bet mostly with illegal operators mistakenly believe that they are betting legally.
“As legal sports betting options expand, this data highlights the need for educational efforts to drive bettors away from illegal operators and toward the legal market, which protects consumers and the integrity of games,” the AGA commented.
This data illustrates the continued value sports betting provides to leagues through fan engagement, even when fan interest is otherwise down.
Previous AGA research has also shown that sports bettors are more interested in the NFL than any other professional sports league (93 percent interested). It said the NFL stands to gain $2.3bn annually from legal sports betting, largely due to increased fan engagement.
