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Pew Research: 1 in 5 Americans Wagered Money on Sports in 2021
By Jeff Osienya Sep 16, 2022 IndustryA new Pew Research Center survey shows that nearly 20% of American adults placed bets on sports betting in 2021. Join us as we dive deeper into the reported stats for more insight into USA’s sports betting population.A recent report by the American Trends Panel (ATP) of the Pew Research Center has revealed that in 2021, about 1 in 5 Americans participated in sports betting in one form or another. The survey engaged some 6,034 US adults over 18 years old, each of which needed to undertake self-administered web surveys, which were conducted by Ipsos. The total sample size of respondents was interviewed over 12 days between July 5 to 17.
So, in the survey, 15% of respondents reported that they placed bets on fantasy leagues and private betting pools with friends or family members. On the other hand, 6% stated that they had wagered on sports through online betting apps, sportsbooks, or casino platforms. About 8% stuck to in-person betting as brick-and-mortar casinos, kiosks, or racetracks.
The study found that over 80% of all legal sports betting was done online. Of course, this online gaming trend is not surprising as the Covid-19 pandemic shifted most gambling activities to the internet. The shift led to a boom in the online gambling industry in 2020 at the pandemic’s onset and persisted all through 2021 as the economy began normalizing.
Americans’ Views on the Widespread Legalization of Sports Betting
The legalization of sports betting in over 31 states has undoubtedly played a significant role in the year-over-year increase in the nationwide GGR. While the Covid-19 pandemic had temporarily stalled the steady growth from previous years, recent data indicates that things are back on track.
For decades, the gambling industry has attracted a lot of pushback from institutions that have painted it as a vice that should not be allowed to thrive in society. Several campaigns have even been launched to draw attention to the side effects of betting activities on families and the community in general. Some sports fans have also specifically criticized sports betting, claiming that such activities would affect the integrity of the game in some cases.
When asked whether sports betting is good or bad for society, 57% of the Pew Research respondents thought the activity was neither good nor bad. However, 34% said it was bad, whereas only 8% said it was good. On the question of whether it is good for sports, 49% said that it’s neither good nor bad for sports. Meanwhile, 33% thought that it is bad for sports, and 16% stated that it is a good thing for sports.
A look at the demographic of respondents to these two questions also revealed some thought-provoking takes. Americans over 50 years of age, college graduates, and high-income earners were much more likely to have negative views on the effects of legalizing sports betting on society and sports. Also, Republicans were slightly more inclined to see sports betting as a bad thing for society, as compared to Democrats. However, the number of those who thought it was neither good nor bad was well over 50% in both groups.
Males Are More Likely to Bet on Sports Than Women
The Pew Research team also found that political affiliations, education, and income levels had no significant effect on whether someone chose to bet or not. For example, 22% of the respondents that reported placing bets on sporting events in 2021 came from a high-income bracket. Further, 19% were from a medium-income bracket, and another 19% were low-income earners.
Regarding party affiliations, 21% were Democrats or Democrat-leaning, while 19% were Republican or Republican-leaning. On the flip side, when factors such as race and gender were considered, the differences were slightly more significant. For instance, 27% of black and 24% of Hispanic respondents admitted to participating in sports betting in the past year. This figure is significantly higher when compared to the 18% of whites and 10% of Asian-Americans who reported that they had bet on sports in 2021.
Finally, when it comes to gender, 24% of male and 15% of female respondents had waged on sports in 2021. This is in line with many studies which have reported that males are more likely to participate in sports betting than females.
USA’s Regulated Sports Betting Scene is Growing Faster than Ever
The past four years have been busy for the American sports betting industry following the repeal of PASPA. More and more states have passed bills to legalize sports betting in a bid to cash in on an untapped market that was once only benefiting the sports betting black market. However, with no proper regulation, state governments were heavily missing out on lucrative returns that have since been flowing into their tax coffers after legalization.
Of course, the legal market is still a long way off in catching up with the black market. For starters, it offers better odds for punters than regulated markets as there are no overheads like huge tax bills or licensing fees. But on the other hand, legalizing sports betting in over two-thirds of the states has led to some positive outcomes. Besides the collection of billions in revenue in what is now a fast-growing industry, employment opportunities have been created, and the activities surrounding sports betting are also supporting local economies.
States with more favorable regulations have had record-breaking success as monthly, quarterly, and yearly records have been shattered repeatedly. In fact, as the 2022 NFL season continues to rumble on, over 46 million Americans have already expressed an interest in placing some bets on the matches. According to the American Gaming Association, this is a 3% increase from those who bet on the NFL in 2021.
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