The American Gaming Association has predicted that this season’s NFL wagering will hit a record high of $35 billion bet through mobile and retail establishments.
NFL Betting is Big Business
Football season has arrived, and the American Gaming Association has predicted that U.S.-licensed sportsbooks will show a combined handle of $35 billion when the season comes to a close. If those predictions come to fruition, that will be a 31% increase over the $26.7 billion wagered during the 2023 NFL campaign, as more and more Americans are signing up and getting down.
The handle generated exclusively from NFL football has risen every year since the industry trade group began tracking results in 2018. That was the year that the US Supreme Court repealed PASPA, paving the way for states to decide whether to permit online and retail sports betting as opposed to the outright ban, with few exceptions, from the federal government.
The increased handle is due to a variety of factors as more and more Americans become comfortable with the notion of sports betting and an increasing number of states are legalizing it. This NFL season there will be three states, Maine, North Carolina, and Vermont, that had not launched sports betting at the beginning of the last NFL season but were active this year when the Ravens battled the Chiefs in Week 1’s Thursday Night Football.
Focus on Safe and Responsible Betting
“With the excitement of another NFL season upon us, Americans are placing their bets with the confidence that the legal sports betting market is prioritizing consumer protection and responsibility,” AGA president and CEO Bill Miller said in a statement.
“As the season unfolds, the AGA and our members remain dedicated to working with leagues, regulators, and other stakeholders to ensure fans have the knowledge and tools to keep sports betting a safe, fun part of the game day experience.”
Growing Support
The number of states offering sports betting now sits at 38, with sportsbooks also live in Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. States like Missouri are getting closer to the finish line and could be active next season, but the nation’s most populous states, California and Texas, are still sitting on the sidelines, much to the chagrin of the industry’s mobile sports betting sites.
The American Gaming Association conducted a study in August 2024 of registered voters over the age of 21, and the results showed support for the sports betting industry is at an all-time high.
- 90% of past-year sports bettors prioritize choosing a legal and regulated sportsbook.
- 88% believe the industry is advocating responsible gaming and fighting problem gambling.
- 85% agree on the effectiveness of responsible gaming programs, an increase from last year.
- 75% of American adults support legal, regulated sports betting in their state.
- 96% of active sports bettors are aware of at least one responsible gaming resource, with 57% noticing an increase in responsible gaming messaging over the past year.
The industry’s financial support of responsible gaming resources has allayed fears in some sectors that the social problems associated with problem gambling are being addressed properly and the revenue streams derived from sports betting are helping fund state governments.
