AGA says 73m Americans to gamble on the NFL

The number of Americans who are expected to place a wager on the outcome of an NFL game during the 2023/2024 season has increased by nearly 60%, according to a survey conducted by the American Gaming Association and cited by CNBC.

This dramatic increase in the number of active bettors has to do with both awareness of sports gambling as well as the rollout of more states where sports wagering has become legal. The 73m people who are projected to gamble on the NFL this year outstrip the 46m Americans who placed a bet last year.

Meanwhile, 35.1m people plan to wager online while 13.6m people plan to bet at a physical sportsbook instead. The NFL is expected to give sportsbooks one of their strongest years to date in terms of betting revenue, which will allow them to underpin their further expansion as more jurisdictions in the United States become available.

As of the start of the NFL season, gambling is legal in 37 states and Washington, D.C. but the stragglers are also trying to catch up. The NFL has been one of the most wagered-on sports in the United States owing to the rapid expansion of the activity, the national love for football, and not least – the fact that many gambling companies are now setting up shop at NFL stadiums and offering the experience to fans directly.

Commenting on this, AGA CEO Bill Miller has said that the new season brings plenty of opportunities for sports fans to plonk down a wager:

"The sustained interest in NFL wagering reflects the growth and continued maturation of legal sports betting across the country. Consumers clearly want legal sports betting options and understand the regulated industry’s foundational commitments to responsibility."

Meanwhile, the NFL betting fan base is growing, but it’s not that big just yet. According to AGA’s projections, only 37% of all NFL fans are actually placing a wager. The question remains if this number is going to go up over the next year or conversely – begin to shrink if dissatisfied customers fail to see the point of wagering money on the outcome of games.

Sportsbooks, though, have been bringing out refreshed mobile betting apps, new promotions, fantasy contests, and plenty of free-to-play games that are keeping consumers engaged and entertained. For at least another season, NFL sports bettinginterest will continue to surge.

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