Sports betting in the United States - statistics & facts
Although it boasts some of the biggest domestic sports leagues in the world, sports betting in the United States is only a recent phenomenon. A pivotal moment came in May 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, giving states the power to legalize sports betting. As of September 2024, there were 38 states in the U.S. where sports betting was legal to different degrees. Since then, the industry has gone from strength to strength, with revenue generated from sports betting in the U.S. increasing from around 400 million U.S. dollars in 2018 to over 11 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. One particular sporting event that sees an uptake in sports betting is the Super Bowl, with over a quarter of U.S. adults expected to have bet on Super Bowl LVIII ahead of the fixture in 2024. In New Jersey alone, sports betting revenue in January – the month before the Super Bowl is held – spiked, increasing by over 60 million U.S. dollars.
Regarding the most popular sports that U.S. adults bet on, the top three by a large margin were basketball, soccer, and American football as of July 2023. Over 45 percent of sports bettors bet on these sports, with 52.7 percent having bet on basketball alone in the previous year. In comparison, only 22.2 percent placed bets on baseball, which ranked fourth. Concerning the favored types of bets placed by U.S. sports bettors, live in-game bets were the most popular.
Looking to the future, the sports betting industry is unlikely to stop expanding in the U.S. any time soon. However, regarding the 12 states that have yet to legalize the gambling form, it should not be taken for granted that any changes will happen any time soon. This is especially the case with California, which has hitherto shown overwhelming resistance to any efforts to push through legalization.
Which groups engage in sports betting in the U.S.?
When it comes to demographics, the age group of U.S. adults participating the most in sports betting was 25 to 34 year olds as of January 2024. Meanwhile, the gender distribution of U.S. sports bettors is heavily skewed in favor of men, with around three-quarters of sports bettors identifying as male in the same period.Regarding the most popular sports that U.S. adults bet on, the top three by a large margin were basketball, soccer, and American football as of July 2023. Over 45 percent of sports bettors bet on these sports, with 52.7 percent having bet on basketball alone in the previous year. In comparison, only 22.2 percent placed bets on baseball, which ranked fourth. Concerning the favored types of bets placed by U.S. sports bettors, live in-game bets were the most popular.
What are the most popular sports betting platforms in the U.S.?
Since the 2018 legalization of sports betting at a federal level, there has been a mushrooming of sportsbooks operating in the U.S. Some of these platforms, such as BetMGM, were founded in the same year as legalization, in anticipation of the lucrative market that opened that year. Other operators were either sports betting services already established overseas, such as bet365, or were services that incorporated sports betting into their platforms. These included DraftKings and FanDuel, which began as fantasy sports companies and, as of 2024, ranked as the most used sports betting websites and apps in the U.S.Looking to the future, the sports betting industry is unlikely to stop expanding in the U.S. any time soon. However, regarding the 12 states that have yet to legalize the gambling form, it should not be taken for granted that any changes will happen any time soon. This is especially the case with California, which has hitherto shown overwhelming resistance to any efforts to push through legalization.
