• About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

Bad Beat For Books: Half In Poll Say They’ll Bet On Olympics Casually With Friends

20.1 million Americans plan to bet, but regulated sports betting industry has work to do

Brian Pempus by Brian Pempus
July 20, 2021
in Analysis
olympic torch

Image: Ververidis Vasilis/Shutterstock

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A casino industry survey released Tuesday leaves much to be desired for the regulated sports betting industry.

The American Gaming Association said in a news release that 20.1 million people in the U.S. “plan” to bet on the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo. The competition was postponed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus is back with a vengeance, but the Olympics are still on.

The AGA said its Olympics survey was the first of its kind.

The 20.1 million potential bettors are equivalent to 8% of the American adult population. Legal and regulated sports betting is allowed in states with a combined population of more than 100 million people.

The poll was conducted by Morning Consult July 9-12, and it had a sample of 2,200 adults who were interviewed online. The data was weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on gender, educational attainment, age, race, and region.

The reported margin of error is +/- 2%.

For some additional context: The 20.1 million is less than half of the 47.4 million the AGA found in a separate survey were going to bet on March Madness earlier this year.

One problem for the industry …

Though 20.1 million bettors sounds like a healthy number, the AGA found that 47% plan to bet casually with friends. The regulated sports betting industry won’t get a piece of that wagering activity.

Side note: One can clearly see why the sports betting industry is trying to capture that peer-to-peer wagering.

Unfortunately, from an industry perspective, that is expected to be the most common way of wagering. The good news is that 43% say they will place a bet online, though that presumably includes some offshore betting.

States with legal and regulated sports betting see around 90% of their handle come via the internet. Since mid-2018, more than $60 billion has been wagered legally in states that allow it.

The survey found that 16% will place a bet on the Olympics at a retail sportsbook.

Just 13% said they will bet through a bookie, which isn’t a legal method. The black market will take time to phase out, as legal sports betting has spread nationally only since 2018.

The AGA did find that a significant number of people are declining to bet on the Olympics illegally.

“Demonstrating Americans’ strong desire for legal betting options,” the AGA said in the presser, “10% of Americans who do not plan to place a bet on this summer’s games said they would be more likely to wager if it was legal to place an Olympic bet in their state.”

ShareTweetShare
Brian Pempus

Brian Pempus

Brian served as a senior reporter and online content manager for Card Player Magazine for nearly a decade before joining USBets in October 2018. He is currently focused on legal and regulated sports betting and online gaming. He's an avid jiu-jitsu practitioner in his free time.

Related Posts

whats on tap
Industry

What’s On Tap: Super Bowl LVII, ICE London, And LeBron’s Pursuit Of NBA Scoring Record

February 6, 2023
super-bowl-trophy-mural-through-trees
Legislation

Should Super Bowl Monday Be A Holiday?

February 6, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

fanduel-retail-sportsbook-front

Requiem For The So-Called ‘Risk-Free Bet’

February 2, 2023
garnett mgm springfield

Sports Betting Launches In Massachusetts, Giving Three Retail Books A Head Start

January 31, 2023
springfield thunderbirds betmgm opening

What’s Next For BetMGM As Entain Nears End Of Commitment To U.S. Joint Venture?

February 3, 2023
anthony-grant-coaching

Regulators, Colleges Grapple With Impact Of Angry Online Gamblers

February 6, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – Where To Play, Bonus Offers And Promo Codes

by Brian Pempus
February 2, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
February 6, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
January 17, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
October 20, 2022

pa online sportsbooks

Pennsylvania Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonuses

by Brett Smiley
October 6, 2022

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps & Bonus Offers

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

gambling therapy
ncpg
igaming ontario
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (MI/NJ/OH/PA/WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).
19+. Please play responsibly. Terms and conditions apply. 
Individuals must be 19 years of age or older to participate in igaming in Ontario. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you, or someone you know, has a gambling problem in Ontario and wants help, please visit ConnexOntario or call their helpline at 1-866-531-2600. Operators on this website operate pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario.

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News

loading

Please wait while you are redirected to the right page...

Please share your location to continue.

Check our help guide for more info.

share your location