AGA: Majority of Americans support legal statewide sports betting

In 2018, the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), allowing a statewide expansion of sports betting. Five years later, sports betting is available in some form in more than 30 different US states as well as DC. Newly published research by the American Gaming Association (AGA), the US gambling industry association, reveals that five years after the US Supreme Court's decision, an overwhelming majority of Americans support legal sports betting.

Back in 2019, some 63% of American adults agreed with the Supreme Court's decision. Now, the AGA revealed new data, outlining that a majority of 85% of American adults favor the decision of the Supreme Court that struck down PASPA. What's more, 77% of American adults favored the legalization of sports betting in the state where they live, the Association reveals in a statement.

Bill Miller, the AGA's President and CEO, commented on the topic saying: "Five years post-PASPA, the AGA and our members continue to support responsibly expanding the legal market while cracking down on predatory illegal operators."

Finally, Miller noted: "The regulated industry and our partners across the entire ecosystem—policymakers, law enforcement, regulators, leagues, media, technology providers and more—have made significant strides in our collaborative consumer education efforts since 2018, and we will continue to find new ways to enhance consumer protections as the market matures."

The statewide expansion of legal sports betting has a positive impact by channeling users to the legal market. This, in turn, results in generating tax revenue for local and state structures, the Association said. Overall, since 2018, Americans wagered some $220 billion, which resulted in more than $3 billion in taxes that help fund infrastructure, responsible gambling, treatment of problem gambling, as well as healthcare, education and more governmental programs.

The generated taxes are the result of channelization efforts toward the regulated betting markets. Some 78% of the bettors in the country place all or most of their bets via regulated gambling operators, explained the Association. Moreover, in 2019, only 44% of online sports bets were placed via legal operators. This percentage has now increased to 77%, judging by the AGA's new report.

The use of legal sports betting operators is complemented by an increase in consumer awareness. The latest data released by the Association explains that currently, only 29% of American adults "are unsure of the legality of online sportsbooks in their state." This result marks a 45% decrease when compared to data from 2018.

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