AGA Survey: Record Number Of Sports Bets Predicted For This Year’s NFL Season
Week 1 of the NFL season is here and more Americans are expected to wager on this season’s action than at any time in history, according to a new survey by the American Gaming Association (AGA).
As states continue opening up the betting windows, with Kentucky as the latest, the AGA survey estimates that nearly 47 million people plan to wager on the gridiron action this year. That makes up 18% of all American adults, an increase of 3% from last year’s survey and more than 40% since 2020.
“The sustained interest in NFL wagering reflects the growth and continued maturation of legal sports betting across the country,” AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said. “Consumers clearly want legal sports betting options and understand the regulated industry’s foundational commitments to responsibility.” -
A Look At The Numbers
The AGA survey looked at 32 states this year, which has since grown even more, from 27 in 2021 and 19 in 2020. About 37% of NFL fans now plan to place some sort of NFL bet this season, a similar number as in 2022.
The association notes that the trend toward legalization means bettors are starting to move away from bookies and offshore wagering sites and taking advantage of legal online and mobile options.
The survey notes that 23 million people will place a bet online this season, up 18% from 2021 and 104% from 2020. Another 10.6 million people will place a bet at a live casino, up 2% from 2021 and 61% from 2020.
Survey results also indicate bookie betting is declining with just 13% saying they plan on using this method this season. That’s down from 15% of bettors in 2021 and 18% in 2020. However, the number of bettors expecting to use a bookie is 50% higher in the remaining handful of states without legalized sports betting.
In total, a majority of NFL bettors (68%) plan to place traditional sports bets at a physical casino, online, or with a bookie. Another 59% will place a casual bet either with friends or as part of a pool, football squares, or fantasy contest.
When it comes to prognostication, here’s at how Americans responded if they were given $50 and asked to pick the Super Bowl winner:
- Cowboys – 7%
- Chiefs – 6%
- Buccaneers – 6%
- Packers – 5%=
- Rams – 5%
States across the country have rapidly legalized sports betting since the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, a law that previously created a virtual ban on sports betting outside Nevada.
So far, 35 states have gone the legalization route, along with Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico as well. Kentucky went live this week, and Vermont and Maine are ready to launch next. Maine wagering is expected to go live in November, and Vermont betting will all be online and is expected to launch in January.
Florida has legalized sports betting for the Seminole tribe, but that issue has been tied up in court. The tribe recently received a favorable court ruling, but an appeal may delay the return of online wagering.
