American's Don't Love sport Betting

Sports bettors are some of the biggest fans of the sporting world. But the public isn’t fully sold on legalizing sports betting. Here’s what exclusive Ipsos data find

• In the wild west of sports gambling, the industry is growing with a very engaged and young group of Americans, new Ipsos polling shows.
• One in three Americans feel that sports betting is a way to get people more engaged with sports, but 69% of sports bettors feel the same.
• Most sports bettors are male, white, wealthy, and younger. They are also likely to be committed sports fans and most often bet on the NFL or the NBA.
• Still, very few people bet on sports. Only about 8% of Americans say they’ve bet on sports via an app or online and only 4% have bet on sports in-person in the past year.
• Non-betting Americans are skeptical of the practice or are just not tuning in at all. Many view gambling as an enterprise that should be allowed as a personal choice.

Sports betting has exploded following the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that created a path for states to legalize betting on sports. Most states have legalized the practice since then, generating hundreds of billions in bets placed.

Revenue-wise, in the U.S. alone, sports betting generated over one billion dollars in 2020. The next year, that nearly quadrupled to $4.33 billion in revenue.

But the fast-moving and lucrative industry is not without its critics. Public health experts are increasingly concerned about gambling addiction, given the quick pace of legalization, the ease of mobile betting, and the staggering amounts of money at play.

With so much uncharted water and a fast-growing, moneymaking venture, insiders in the industry are paying attention. But is the public paying attention? Do they care?

In the wild west of sports gambling, the industry is growing with a very engaged and young group of Americans, new Ipsos polling shows. Non-betting Americans are skeptical of the practice or are just not tuning in at all. Though, many view gambling as an enterprise that should be allowed as a personal choice rather than an activity that should be outlawed because of fears of addiction.