Washington, DC – With Selection Sunday just days away, the American Gaming Association (AGA) has released new research estimating that Americans will bet more than $2 billion through more than 70 million brackets on March Madness this year. The total number of brackets to be filled out will be greater than the number of ballots cast for either President Obama (66 million) or Mitt Romney (61 million) in the 2012 election.

INFOGRAPHIC: American to Fill Out 70M Brackets, Bet $2 Billion on Tournament

“Sports betting has played a major role in making March Madness the big-time event it is today,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the AGA. “With more people filling out brackets than casting a ballot for President Obama – who makes his NCAA predictions in the Oval Office each year – it’s clear that Americans embrace gaming.”

While Americans will bet $2 billion through brackets, the total amount wagered on the tournament is expected to reach $9 billion. Of that amount, $240 million will be bet on the tournament at Nevada sports books.

For this year’s tournament, the poll also found that:

• Nearly 40 million Americans will fill out brackets;
• The average person will complete nearly two brackets;
• The average bet per bracket will total $29; and
• Half of all March Madness viewers have filled out a bracket at least once in their lifetime.

The poll was conducted by GfK Custom Research North America. The sample consists of 1,000 completed interviews, made up of male and female adults (in approximate equal number), all 18 years of age and over. All completed interviews are weighted to ensure accurate and reliable representation of the total population, 18 years and older.

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $240 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.7 million jobs in 40 states.  AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry.  It is the mission of the AGA to be the single most effective champion of the industry, relentlessly protecting against harmful and often misinformed public policies, and paving a pathway for growth, innovation and reinvestment.

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