Sports Betting - Page 7 of 28 - American Gaming Association

Created in 2015 and charged with studying a multitude of issues associated with sports betting and Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS), this member-only group meets regularly to discuss ongoing research initiatives, debate the industry and association’s roles in pushing for a more rational approach to sportsbetting in America today and strategize about how to most effectively cultivate stakeholders and allies in this effort.

AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provides state-by-state and national insight into the U.S. commercial gaming industry’s financial performance based on state revenue reports. This issue highlights results for the full calendar year 2024, as well as the fourth quarter.

Annual Gaming Revenue Reaches New High for Fourth Consecutive Year
The commercial gaming industry set a new revenue record for the fourth consecutive year in 2024, according to data compiled by the American Gaming Association (AGA). Total revenue from land-based casino games, sports betting and iGaming reached $71.92 billion for the calendar year, a 7.5 percent increase over the previous record set in 2023.

With the inclusion of tribal gaming revenue, which will be reported by the National Indian Gaming Commission later this year, total 2024 U.S. gaming revenue will approach $115 billion.

December revenue fell two percent compared to the prior year, to $6.16 billion. The first annual contraction in 46 months was driven by significantly lower sports betting revenue due to a low hold rate. Despite the December revenue decline, the fourth quarter saw a 6.2 percent year-over-year increase as commercial gaming revenue reached $18.62 billion, a new quarterly record.

In-Person Gaming Has Record Year, Online Segment Claims Almost a Third of Growing Revenue Pie
Most of the primary verticals within the gaming industry set revenue records in 2024, including casino slots, sports betting and iGaming.

Slot machines generated $36.06 billion, up 1.6 percent, while table game revenue contracted by 1.7 percent year-over-year to $10.14 billion. Collectively, traditional casino slots and table games generated $49.78 billion in revenue, an increase of 82 basis points compared to 2023.

Sports betting continued to see significant growth, increasing 25.4 percent from 2023 and reaching $13.71 billion in revenue. iGaming also had another strong year, expanding 28.7 percent year-over-year to $8.40 billion.

In-person gaming remains the bedrock of the industry despite online gaming claiming an increased slice of the revenue pie in 2024. Commercial land-based gaming-encompassing casino slot machines, table games and retail sports betting- accounted for $50.32 billion, or 70.0 percent, of total revenue in 2024. Meanwhile, online gaming- comprising online sports betting and iGaming- generated $21.54 billion, 30.0 percent of total revenue.

Gaming Taxes Provide $15.66 Billion for State and Local Governments
State and local governments across the country continued to benefit from the industry’s success in 2024. Commercial gaming operators paid an estimated $15.66 billion in gaming taxes last year, an 8.5 percent increase compared to 2023.

In Q4, commercial gaming operators paid an estimated $4.01 billion in gaming taxes, 8.4 percent higher than Q4 2023.

It’s important to note that these gaming tax figures include state and local taxes directly linked to gaming revenue, which are reported on a monthly or quarterly basis. They do not include annual fees or sports betting excise tax payments to the federal government. Additionally, these figures do not encompass the billions more paid by the industry in terms of income, sales, payroll and various corporate taxes.

Chicagoland Solidifies Position as Third Largest Market
Uneven regional performance saw just six of the top 20 commercial casino gaming markets post revenue growth compared to 2023. The Las Vegas Strip remains the top market by commercial revenue despite a 4.4 percent year-over-year contraction, while Downtown Las Vegas and Reno/Sparks showed noteworthy gains, moving four and two positions respectively.

Boosted by new property openings, Chicagoland retained its position as the third-largest market, while the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area followed close behind. Elsewhere, the Detroit market bounced back from labor disputes at the tail-end of 2023 to generate its highest yearly revenue total since 2019.

Resorts World New York City Remains Top Non-Nevada Casino
At the individual property level, 12 of the top 20 highest-grossing commercial casinos outside of Colorado, Nevada and Mississippi saw an uptick in combined land-based gaming revenue from slot machines, table games and retail sports betting compared to 2023.

Resorts World New York City remained the highest grossing commercial property outside Nevada for the second year in a row. MGM National Harbor (MD) and Encore Boston Harbor (MA) round out the top three rankings, unchanged from 2023.

Outside the top three, Rivers Casino Portsmouth (VA) became the one of the highest grossing properties in the country in just its second year of operations.

Top Gaming States Grow in 2024
Among the 36 commercial gaming jurisdictions that were operational in 2023, 28 increased combined revenue from land-based casino games, sports betting and iGaming. Of these 28, all of them posted new annual revenue records.

Montana’s sports betting only market declined by nearly 16 percent, while New Mexico (-3.5%), Ohio (-0.9%), New Hampshire (-1.5%), Mississippi (-2%), Missouri (-1.7%), Iowa (-1.7%) and Florida (0.5%) declined by smaller margins.

Online Betting Drives Revenue Growth
National revenue growth was driven almost entirely by online betting in 2024. Annual revenue from land-based gaming – including casino slots, table games and retail sports betting – totaled $50.32 billion, 0.6 percent higher than 2023. Meanwhile, online gaming revenue growth – comprising iGaming and online sports betting – continued to grow, increasing 24.6 percent year-over-year to $21.54 billion. Notably, iGaming revenue growth accelerated last year, while sports betting growth moderated.

Online gaming (sports and casino) now generates the majority of commercial revenue in 13 states, including Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Traditional Casino Gaming Sets Annual Record in 13 States
In 2024, traditional casino gaming produced record revenue of $49.78 billion from slot machines and table games, reflecting growth of 82 basis points compared to the previous year.

Slot machine revenue reached a new annual high in 2024, with slot revenue growing by 1.6 percent year-over-year to $36.06 billion. Table game revenue contracted by 1.7 percent year-over-year to $10.14 billion. The separate slot and table game figures do not include data from Louisiana and Michigan, though their aggregates are captured in the combined figure.

At the state level, 14 out of the 27 states offering traditional casino gaming witnessed an uptick in combined revenue from slot and table games compared to 2023.

Nebraska, Virginia and Illinois were notable gainers in terms of traditional casino gaming, with combined revenue from slot machines and table games increasing 60.1, 32.0 and 11.0 percent respectively, driven by new property openings.

Sports Betting Revenue Approaches $14 Billion
Americans legally wagered $147.91 billion on sports, up 23.6 percent from the previous year. More than 95 percent of money wagered on sports last year was done online.

That increased handle drove nationwide sports betting revenue to $13.71 billion in 2024, 25.4 percent higher than the previous year.

Sports betting revenue was also helped by a slightly higher percentage. In 2024, sportsbooks won 9.3% of the money bet on sports, compared to 9.1 percent in 2023.

The fourth quarter of 2024 saw sportsbook hold percentages deviate strongly from previous years, driving volatility in sportsbook and overall industry revenue. In December, the sports betting hold fell to 6.1 percent from 9.8 percent in 2023, this led to a 29 percent annual decline in December sports betting revenue.

Despite the erratic results, nationally, sports revenue was up 7.3 percent year-over-year in Q4.

By the close of 2024, sports betting was legal in 38 states and the District of Colombia, including 34 commercial jurisdictions where public data is available. Missouri legalized sports betting at the end of 2024, but it has not yet launched. This is an increase from 37 jurisdictions and the District of Colombia at the end of 2023, including 32 commercial jurisdictions.

The two new commercial sports betting markets became operational in 2024 – North Carolina and Vermont – that together combined for $605.6 million in revenue. Despite not launching until March, by the end of the year North Carolina had established itself among the country’s top ten sports betting states by revenue, landing in 9th place overall.

Illinois surpassed New Jersey to become the second largest sports betting market thanks to 21.1 percent growth in 2024. Notably, Massachusetts moved up two spots from last year, landing in seventh position with revenue increasing 38.8 percent over 2023.

For the sixth year in a row, the fall sports calendar propelled legal sportsbooks to their most lucrative quarter on record despite unfavorable event outcomes, with revenue reaching $3.66 billion. A record $45.47 billion was bet on sports in Q4, 14.2 percent more than the previous year.

At the time of writing, some sports betting data for Arizona (November and December) had not yet been released.

iGaming Revenue Surpasses $8 Billion
Rhode Island launched its iGaming market in Q1 of 2024, helping fuel the impressive national market growth in 2024. Combined iGaming revenue from the seven active states (excluding Nevada’s poker-only market) reached $8.41 billion, a 28.7 percent increase year-over-year.

Pennsylvania continues to host the largest iGaming market in the U.S., generating $2.71 billion in annual revenue, up 28.5 percent over 2023. Michigan and New Jersey each easily surpassed $2.00 billion in annual iGaming revenue, setting new records, as the second and third largest markets, respectively.

Each of the six previously established iGaming markets achieved new annual records, with revenue expansion between 24.1 percent (New Jersey) and 345.0 percent (Delaware) compared to the previous year.

The iGaming vertical ended the year strong, setting a new quarterly revenue record of $2.38 billion, up 33.1 percent from Q4 2023.

About the Report
AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provides state-by-state and nationwide insight into the U.S. commercial gaming industry’s financial performance. Monthly updates on AmericanGaming.org feature topline figures based on state revenue reports while quarterly reports provide a more detailed analysis covering the three previous months.

WASHINGTON – New American Gaming Association (AGA) research shows consumers are moving their business away from illegal bookies and toward legal options. Average spending with illegal bookies fell 25 percent in legal sports betting states last year, while legal online and mobile betting spend increased 12 percent. Illegal offshore operators also saw a three percent increase in states with legal sports betting.

The most influential factors for bettors who had shifted from the illegal to legal market are confidence that bets will be paid out (25%), awareness of legal options (20%), and a desire to use a regulated book (19%).

“We’ve known for a long time that Americans like to bet on sports. This research affirms their interest in moving toward the protections of the legal market,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “Giving consumers convenient alternatives to the illegal market, like regulated mobile offerings and competitive odds, is key for getting bettors to switch to legal channels.”

Bettors overwhelmingly prefer legal operators, with 74 percent saying it is important to only bet through legal providers. Despite this, 52 percent of sports bettors participated in the illegal market in 2019. The study found that illegal sports betting is driven largely by confusion about online operators. More than half (55%) of consumers who placed most of their wagers with illegal operators believed they bet legally.

“Illegal, offshore operators continue to take advantage of unknowing consumers,” continued Miller. “This only worsened during the sports shutdown, with unregulated bookmakers offering odds on everything from the weather and shark migration patterns to whether your friends’ marriage will survive the pandemic. The AGA is focused on educating customers on how to wager legally and the dangers of the illegal market, especially with the return of the MLB and NBA this month.”

To help educate bettors, the AGA’s interactive sports betting map includes a comprehensive directory of licensed online and retail sportsbooks in states where sports betting is legal. In addition, the AGA is actively collaborating with federal and state law enforcement to enhance our collective understanding of the illegal marketplace; engaging publishers and media to ensure their platforms do not promote the illegal marketplace; and educating the public about the dangers associated with illegal sports betting operators.

As states continue to consider legalizing sports betting, AGA’s newly updated sports betting principles encourage policymakers to build regulatory frameworks that protect customers, ensure robust oversight, create a competitive environment, and promote customer convenience.

Background

Eighteen states plus the District of Columbia now offer legal, regulated sports betting, with four more states poised to open legal markets in the coming months.
Before the COVID-19 shutdown, 2020 looked set to become another record-breaking year with $3.5 billion legally wagered in January and February, up from $1.9 billion the same time last year.
Legal sports betting is available to 22.4 million more American adults than before the COVID-19 pandemic, as Illinois, Michigan, Montana, Colorado, and Washington, D.C. have all gone live since mid-March.
Americans have legally wagered more than $22 billion on sports nationwide since the Supreme Court overturned PASPA, generating upwards of $198 million in tax revenue to state and local governments.
In March 2019, the AGA released a first-of-its-kind study on the sports betting consumer.
The AGA’s Have A Game Plan™, Bet Responsibly public service campaign encourages responsible sports betting behavior, including using licensed, regulated operators.

Methodology
Heart + Mind Strategies conducted this survey on behalf of the AGA between December 2019 and January 2020. The survey includes 3,451 interviews among American adults over 21-years-old of various subgroups.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A record 45.2 million Americans (18%) plan to wager on the 2021 National Football League (NFL) season, according to research released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA). Compared to last year, 36 percent more Americans will place a bet on the league’s games this season.

The sharp rise in betting plans this year can be traced to the expansion of legal sports betting options and increased enthusiasm overall for the upcoming season. Fans in 18 states and Washington, DC had access to operational, legal sports betting at the start of the 2020 season. As the 2021 season kicks off, Americans will be able to place legal sports wagers in 26 states and Washington, DC, with five additional states likely to offer legal sports betting by the end of the season.*

“Sports betting is more popular than ever among Americans, and the enthusiasm of bettors for the upcoming NFL season highlights the remarkable growth of the industry over the past three years,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “Importantly, when the 2021 NFL season begins, more than 111 million* American adults will be able to wager safely with regulated sportsbooks in their home states rather than with the predatory illegal market.”

While NFL betting is projected to be up across all wagering methods, betting with online sportsbooks is expected to see the largest increase over 2020 while illegal bookies are expected to see the slowest growth:

21.7 million American adults will bet on the 2021 NFL season casually with friends, up 31 percent from 2020.
19.5 million will place a bet online (legal and illegal), up 73 percent from 2020.
14.6 million will participate in a paid fantasy contest or other type of pool competition, up 69 percent from 2021.
10.5 million will place a bet at a physical casino sportsbook, up 58 percent from 2020.
6.7 million will place a bet with a bookie, up 13 percent from 2020.

AGA research also shows sports betting’s significant value to the league, with 37 percent of NFL fans planning to wager on this year’s NFL season, including nearly half (47%) of self-described avid NFL fans. Moreover, 44 percent of all Americans and 63 percent of NFL fans believe that in-venue sportsbooks will add entertainment value to attending sporting events in-person.

Along with the expansion of the legal market, increased fan enthusiasm will also drive NFL betting this year, as 25 percent of Americans say they are more excited about the upcoming season than previous seasons, up from 18 percent last year.

Fans from the Northeast (21%) are most interested in betting on the NFL this year, followed by the West (18%), Midwest (17%) and South (15%).

“Fans are the heartbeat of professional sports, and leagues like the NFL are realizing the full potential of sports betting to drive fan engagement,” added Miller. “To capitalize on this tremendous opportunity, the NFL and its 32 teams must also realize their responsibility to educate fans and promote responsible gaming.”

Among expected bettors, the Chiefs are the most popular pick to win the Super Bowl (15%), followed by the Buccaneers (11%) and Cowboys (7%).

*Includes anticipated launch of Arizona, South Dakota, and Washington by NFL kick-off on Sept. 9.

Background

The NFL and its teams have formed 52 data sharing and marketing partnerships since May 2018.
Sports betting is currently legal in 32 states and Washington, DC, with 26 jurisdictions already offering operational markets and seven legal markets yet to launch. 16 of the 23 states that are home to NFL teams have legalized sports betting.
Americans have legally wagered nearly $27 billion on sports in the first seven months of 2021, generating more than $350 million in federal, state, and local taxes.
AGA’s interactive sports betting map tracks sports betting legalization, including active legislation, on a state-by-state basis.
AGA’s Have A Game Plan.^®Bet Responsibly.™ public service campaign brings together sports leagues and teams, media, and gaming companies to promote sports betting education. The Washington Football Team is the first NFL team partner with the campaign.

Methodology

Morning Consult, on behalf of the American Gaming Association, conducted an online survey August 25-30, 2021 among a national sample of 2,200 American adults. The data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, educational attainment, gender, race, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/-2 percent.

WASHINGTON – The PGA TOUR joined the American Gaming Association (AGA) as the newest Have A Game Plan.^® Bet Responsibly. public service campaign partner to educate golf fans on responsible sports betting.

As part of the campaign, the TOUR will develop content that encourages its fans to “Know When to Lay Up” and bet responsibly. The co-branded responsible gaming content will appear on social and digital platforms along with public service announcements that will air on PGA TOUR Radio.

“A key pillar of the PGA TOUR’s sports betting strategy is responsible gaming and ensuring our fans are equipped with the appropriate resources so they are properly prepared and educated,” said Scott Warfield, VP of Gaming at the PGA TOUR. “By aligning with the American Gaming Association in support of its Have A Game Plan campaign we’re able to align our efforts and provide a consistent message focused on responsible gaming.”

The TOUR joins NASCAR and the National Hockey League (NHL) as league partners in the campaign, which focuses on the fundamentals of responsible sports betting: setting a budget and sticking to it, keeping betting social, knowing the odds, and playing with trusted, regulated operators. Monumental Sports & Entertainment and the Vegas Golden Knights have also committed inventory in support of the campaign.

“The AGA is thrilled welcome the PGA TOUR to our growing responsible sports betting campaign,” said Casey Clark, AGA Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications. “As legal sports betting continues to expand in both availability and popularity, it is imperative that responsible gaming education keeps pace. Today’s announcement is a testament to the TOUR’s thoughtful approach to sports betting and marks an important step in continuing to engage all industry stakeholders in our shared responsibility to educate fans on safely and responsibly betting on sports.”

Launched in 2019, the AGA’s Have A Game Plan campaign provides consumers with a state-by-state guide on where to find legal operators, spotlights the basics of sports betting, and raises awareness on signs of problem gambling.

This partnership is the latest in a string of progressive and industry-leading sports betting initiatives by the TOUR. Following the Supreme Court’s decision that overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, the TOUR instituted a robust integrity program in collaboration with Genius Sports and later that year announced a global partnership with IMG ARENA to license its official, live scoring data to betting operators all over the world. The TOUR’s official sports betting partners include BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet, and the organization continues to evolve its innovative GolfBet partnership with The Action Network. The TOUR is also a platinum member of the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Background

25 states and Washington, DC have now legalized sports betting, with 20 jurisdictions already operational.
45%, or 115 million, of American adults now live in a jurisdiction where wagering on sports is legal.
Between June 2018 and November 2020, bettors legally wagered more than $35 billion on sports nationwide, generating nearly $2.5 billion in sportsbook revenue and approximately $330 million in tax revenue to state and local governments.

NEW YORK – Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (NYSE: MSGS) (“MSG Sports”) and Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: MSGE) (“MSG Entertainment”) announced today a partnership with the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Have A Game Plan.^® Bet Responsibly.™ campaign to promote responsible gaming.

“With the continued growth of legal sports gaming throughout the tri-state area, it’s a priority for MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment to ensure that fans and viewers have access to educational resources on how to wager responsibly,” said Ron Skotarczak, Executive Vice President, Marketing Partnerships, Madison Square Garden Entertainment. “Providing a platform to amplify Have A Game Plan is essential to our strategy and supporting future growth in this industry.”

As part of the partnership, MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment will activate the campaign in-arena and through digital media with the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers and on-air through MSG Network, including regular features on Odds with Ends, The Bettor Half Hour and The Betting Exchange.

“MSG is a fixture in the New York sports market, and we are proud to have them join Have A Game Plan,” said AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark. “MSG’s unique activations further support our goal of convening the sports betting ecosystem around a common message to advance responsible gaming.”

AGA’s Have A Game Plan campaign promotes four core principles of responsible sports betting: set a budget and stick to it, keep betting social, know the odds and play with trusted, regulated operators.

Fan and consumer education are critical as sports betting expands nationwide. Today, sports betting is legal in 32 states and the District of Columbia, with 31 jurisdictions already operational. 142 million American adults can now bet legally in their home market.

The AGA launched Have A Game Plan in late 2019 to educate sports fans on the principles of responsible sports betting. MSG Sports joins campaign partners across the sports betting landscape, including BetMGM, DraftKings, Entain, FanDuel, Global Payments, MGM Resorts International, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, NASCAR, New York Jets, NHL, Nuvei, PGA TOUR, Rush Street Interactive, SeventySix Capital, Sightline Payments, Sinclair Broadcast Group, UFC, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Football Team.

WASHINGTON – The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates that Americans will wager more than $10 billion on the upcoming 2018 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Of that $10 billion, only about $300 million – or three percent – will be wagered legally through Nevada sports books.

Americans illegally bet at least $150 billion annually on sports, empowered by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), a failed federal prohibition on single-game sports betting. Illegal wagering is often done through bookies, on illegal offshore websites, or through sports pools like popular March Madness® basketball bracket pools.

According to a recent legal analysis, roughly two-thirds of states’ laws make it illegal to participate in sports pools, including filling out an NCAA tournament bracket, if there is money involved. Despite this, 10 percent of American adults, or nearly 24 million people, reported spending nearly $3 billion in the past year on college basketball pools alone.

“Our current sports betting laws are so out of touch with reality that we’re turning tens of millions of Americans into criminals for the simple act of enjoying college basketball,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “The failed federal ban on sports betting has created an illegal, unregulated sports betting market that offers zero consumer protections and generates zero revenue for state and tribal governments.

“As the Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of PASPA, AGA is focused on working with all stakeholders to put the illegal market out of business and enable a safe, legal way for American consumers to participate in next year’s office pool without fear of prosecution,” continued Freeman.

The U.S. Supreme Court will make a decision on New Jersey’s challenge to PASPA’s overreach in the coming months, potentially enabling an expansion of legalized sports betting. Meanwhile, 48 pieces of sports betting legislation are active in 18 states, as legislatures across the country prepare to take advantage of this opportunity.

Background

On December 4, 2017, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Christie v. NCAA, which challenges the constitutionality of PASPA. The Court is expected to issue a decision on the case in the coming months.
AGA filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court detailing the impacts of the failing federal sports betting ban. The brief highlighted the thriving $150 billion illegal sports betting market in the U.S.
At least 18 states have active sports betting-related legislation, with more expected to introduce bills throughout 2018.
AGA developed Principles to Successfully Govern Sports Betting and Protect Consumers to inform state policy.
According to a Washington Post survey 55% of Americans believe it is time to end the sports betting ban.

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 achieve sound policies and regulations consistent with casino gaming’s modern appeal and vast economic contributions.