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Record Setting Number of Americans Planning to Bet on NFL

Robert Linnehan

by Robert Linnehan in Sports Betting News

Updated Sep 7, 2022 · 8:42 AM PDT

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Aug 25, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates with quarterback Shane Buechele (6) after a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
  • According to a new study from the American Gaming Association, a record number of Americans are planning to bet on the NFL season
  • A 3% increase in betting from the 2021 season is expected
  • 92% of U.S. sports bettors report awareness of responsible gaming tools

NFL betting is the undisputed king of sports wagering, but a new report from the American Gaming Association sheds light on how much of a stranglehold the NFL has over the American sports betting market.

According to a study released today from the American Gaming Association (AGA), an estimated record setting 46.6 million American adults are planning to bet on the upcoming NFL season, a 3% year-over-year increase from the 2021 NFL season.

Record Setting Number of NFL Bettors

More than 132 million American adults can legally wager in their home state,18 million more than this time last year. According to the AGA, 23 million American adults are planning to place at least one bet online this season, up 18% from the 2021 numbers. Sports betting is currently legal in 36 states and Washington, D.C., and 18 of the 22 states homes to NFL have legalized sports betting.

Since the start of the 2021 season, Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, and Wisconsin have launched new sports betting markets. Kansas sports betting launched just last week, bringing a new market online just in time for the start of the NFL season.

“The sustained interest in NFL wagering reflects the growth and continued maturation of legal sports betting across the country,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller in a press release. “Consumers clearly want legal sports betting options and understand the regulated industry’s foundational commitments to responsibility.”

According to the study:

  • 10.6 million American adults will place a bet in-person at a sportsbook this season, up 2% from 2021. 
  • 13% of NFL bettors say they will use a bookie, down 2% from 2021 and 5% from 2020. 
  • Bettors using a bookie is 50% higher in state without legalized sports betting. 

Sports Betting Regulation a Priority for Bettors

Nine in ten of past-year sports bettors reported to the study that it’s “very or somewhat important” they bet with a legal, regulated sportsbook. In the same vein, 90% of respondents recall seeing or hearing about responsible gaming in the past year and 51% saw or heard more responsible gaming information presented to them in the past 12 months than they had in previous years.

The majority of sports bettors (82%) believe responsible gaming programs are very or somewhat effective and that the gaming industry is committed to responsible gaming and combatting problem gaming.

“Responsibility is an underpinning of regulated U.S. sports betting and a clear competitive advantage as we continue to build a sustainable marketplace,” Miller added.

NFL Bettors High on the Bills, Bucs

Also included in the study, 9% of NFL bettors believe either the Tampa Bay Bucs or the Buffalo Bills will reach Super Bowl LVII, following the by Los Angels Rams and Kansas City Chiefs (8%), and the Dallas Cowboys (7%).

The Super Bowl is set to be held in Arizona in February 2023, the first time it’s been played in a legal sports betting state.

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