A record 46.6 million Americans say they plan to bet on the NFL during the upcoming season, according to the American Gaming Association’s annual survey of Americans’ NFL betting plans.

The nearly 47 million people who plan bet this year represent 18 percent of all American adults, up three percent from last year and more than 40 percent since 2020. The increased betting participation over the past two years reflects a legal U.S. sports betting market that has expanded to 32 states this year from 27 in 2021 and 19 in 2020. Similar to last year, 37 percent of NFL fans plan to bet on the league this season.

As legalization spreads, consumers are moving their betting away from bookies and towards legal options:

This season, a majority of NFL bettors (68%) will place traditional sports bets either at a physical casino, online or with a bookie. Beyond traditional betting, 59 percent of NFL bettors will place a casual bet, either with friends or as part of a pool, squares or fantasy contest.

If they were given $50 and asked to pick a Super Bowl winner today, a plurality of Americans would put their money on the Cowboys (7%), followed by the Chiefs (6%), Buccaneers (6%), Packers (5%) and Rams (5%).

Methodology

Morning Consult, on behalf of the American Gaming Association, conducted an online survey August 25-27, 2022 among a national sample of 2,210 American adults. The data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, educational attainment, gender, race, and region. The margin of error is +/-2 percent and greater among subgroups. Bettors include those who expect to place a bet online, with a bookie, with a casino sportsbook, in a pool, squares or paid fantasy contest, or casually with family or friends.

The American Gaming Association’s national survey of expected sports betting activity for the 2020 National Football League (NFL) season shows that an estimated 33.2 million American adults, or approximately 13%, plan to bet on NFL games this year. Of these bettors:

Sports betting continues to drive excitement among fans as expected bettors are more excited about the upcoming NFL season than avid fans, casual fans, and U.S. adults generally.

This data illustrates the continued value sports betting provides to leagues through fan engagement, even when fan interest is otherwise down. Previous AGA research has also shown that sports bettors are more interested in the NFL than any other professional sports league (93 percent interested), and the NFL stands to gain $2.3 billion annually from legal sports betting, largely due to increased fan engagement.

Despite expanded access to safe and regulated legal sports betting, 18 percent of bettors plan to bet with a bookie, either in person or via a mobile platform—up from 12 percent last season. A recent AGA survey found that 55 percent of sports bettors who bet mostly with illegal operators mistakenly believe that they are betting legally. As legal sports betting options expand, this data highlights the need for educational efforts to drive bettors away from illegal operators and toward the legal market, which protects consumers and the integrity of games.

NFL bettors favored reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs (13%), when asked who they would put a $50 bet on to win the Superbowl this season.

Methodology
Morning Consult, on behalf of the American Gaming Association, conducted an online survey August 24-27, 2020 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 D.C. – Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality and entertainment, is partnering with the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Have A Game Plan.^® Bet Responsibly.™ campaign to promote responsible sports wagering.

As a campaign partner, Delaware North will add to its current responsible gaming communications this spring by promoting Have A Game Plan onsite and via online and social channels.

“Responsibility is not only core to Delaware North’s commitment to our customers, but essential to the sustainable growth of legal sports betting,” said Delaware North Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Jack McNeill. “We’re proud to work with the AGA on this important initiative to educate fans on responsible gaming.”

The company operates gaming in eight states and sports wagering in Arkansas and West Virginia through its Betly platform, with operations planned to begin in several other states in 2022. Last year, Delaware North announced a sports betting and iGaming joint venture, Gamewise, with Belgian gaming and sports betting leader Gaming1.

Delaware North joins more than 20 partners across the sports betting ecosystem in supporting Have A Game Plan, which promotes four principles of responsible gaming: setting a budget and sticking to it, keeping betting social, knowing the odds and playing with trusted, regulated operators.

“Delaware North’s reach across gaming, entertainment and sports adds an important voice to Have A Game Plan,” said AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark. “We’re grateful for their partnership and leadership in advancing responsible gaming and ensuring bettors have the tools to wager responsibly.”

The AGA launched Have A Game Plan in late 2019 to teach consumers the fundamentals of responsible sports betting as sports betting expands nationwide. The campaign has broad support from across the sports betting landscape, including sports leagues and teams, media companies, gaming operators and suppliers and others.

Sports betting is now legal in 33 states and the District of Columbia. Today, 31 jurisdictions are operational, offering more than 130 million American adults the protections of legal wagering in their home market.

Delaware North is also a sustaining member of the National Council on Problem Gambling. The announcement comes during Problem Gambling Awareness Month (#PGAM22).

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WASHINGTON – UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, has joined the American Gaming Association (AGA) to promote responsible sports betting as the newest partner in its Have A Game Plan.^® Bet Responsibly.™ public service campaign.

To highlight its support for the campaign, UFC will use its own in-venue, digital and broadcast assets to promote co-branded marketing materials with UFC themes to encourage responsible sports betting.

“We have the most passionate, die-hard fans of any sport and they love to bet on UFC, but it’s important they do it responsibly,” said UFC President Dana White. “We’re proud to work with the AGA and get behind this campaign to encourage our fans to make smart decisions and promote responsible gaming.”

UFC joins NASCAR, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the PGA TOUR as a league partner in the campaign, which focuses on the core principles of responsible sports betting: setting a budget and sticking to it, keeping betting social, knowing the odds and playing with trusted, regulated operators.

“As sports betting expands nationwide, professional sports leagues recognize the need to educate fans and ensure they’re wagering safely,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “We’re thankful to see this campaign grow as progressive leagues like UFC lend their considerable voice to this important effort. UFC’s commitment is important to engage, educate and encourage their fans – some of whom may be placing bets for the first time – to wager responsibly.”

The AGA launched the Have A Game Plan campaign in 2019 to educate sports fans on the importance of responsible sports betting. In addition to leagues, UFC also joins Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the Vegas Golden Knights and FanDuel as official campaign partners.

Background

• 25 states and Washington, DC have now legalized sports betting, with 21 jurisdictions already operational.
• 100 million American adults now live in a jurisdiction where wagering on sports is legal.
• 14 states currently have active or pre-filed legislation to legalize sports betting.

About UFC^®
UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 142 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to approximately 900M TV households across more than 175 territories. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 70 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

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The AGA’s survey on sports betting consumer behavior in 2019 shows that bettors are increasingly choosing legal sportsbooks over illegal operators when placing their wagers. In states with legal sports betting in 2019, past-year bettors reported:

The findings solidify the need for states to allow competitive alternatives to the illegal market, such as intrastate mobile wagering, which consumer polling shows is a primary factor in drawing customers away from unregulated and dangerous operators. Other key factors influencing conversion from the illegal to legal market were:

Migration from the illegal market would likely have been more pronounced if it wasn’t for sports bettors reporting widespread confusion between legal and illegal operators. Despite 74 percent of bettors saying it is important to only bet through legal providers, 52 percent of past-year bettors participated in the illegal market in 2019. 55 percent of consumers who placed most of their wagers with illegal operators reporting that they believed they were betting legally.

These results highlight the need for further consumer education on how and why to bet legally. The AGA is taking action by educating bettors on responsible gaming, educating the media on the pervasive effects of legitimizing offshore operators, and maintaining a directory of licensed online and retail sportsbooks in states with legal sports betting.

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 – The American Gaming Association (AGA) and NASCAR are teaming up to educate NASCAR fans on responsible sports betting through the AGA’s Have a Game Plan.^® Bet Responsibly. public service campaign. As the campaign’s first professional sports league partner, NASCAR will develop co-branded content that encourages new and seasoned sports bettors to “Know When To Pit” and bet responsibly.

Today’s partnership announcement coincides with the AGA’s Responsible Gaming Education Week (Sept. 13-19), held annually to showcase the gaming industry’s year-round commitment to responsible gaming initiatives and promote transparency and gaming literacy to customers.

“Legal sports betting allows fans to engage with their favorite drivers and race teams in new, exciting ways. It is critically important to ensure they are informed about how to do so responsibly,” said Casey Clark, Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications, AGA. “This partnership further demonstrates NASCAR’s leadership among professional sports on responsible gaming.”

Over the last year, NASCAR entered into a series of partnerships with world-class brands to prepare the industry and its fans for the rapidly growing sports betting market. Sportradar signed on as NASCAR’s integrity partner, BetGenius as its data provider, Penn National Gaming and BetMGM as Authorized Gaming Operators, IMG Arena as its international streaming partner, and EquiLottery and LEAP in the lottery and virtual gaming spaces, respectively. To help fans become educated on sports betting, NASCAR recently launched NASCAR.com/betcenter and also works closely with The Action Network and VSiN.

“Ensuring that our fans have the resources to bet responsibly is a founding principle of our gaming strategy,” said Scott Warfield, Managing Director, Gaming, NASCAR. “The AGA uniquely understands the convergence of legal betting, sports, and responsible gaming. As sports bettors increasingly engage with NASCAR, we look forward to working together to promote bettor education and resources that help prepare our fans for the rapidly expanding legal sports betting landscape.”

As part of the partnership, NASCAR will develop co-branded content for distribution across its social platforms and produce public service announcements that will run across national radio. NASCAR.com will also produce original responsible gaming content for NASCAR.com/betcenter, which provide fans with stats, odds, and information designed to empower them to make informed decisions in the fantasy and gaming space.

The American Gaming Association launched Have a Game Plan.^® in late 2019 as an extension of the industry’s ongoing commitment to responsibility. The AGA and NASCAR are both contributors to the International Center for Responsible Gaming’s fund to support research on sports wagering; AGA as a founding donor and NASCAR as the fund’s first league supporter.

About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR® consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, Americrown Service and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

Global Gaming Expo (G2E) will continue to bring the gaming industry together this fall through a new virtual experience. Get the benefits of a live event—expert education and thought leadership, networking opportunities, business meetings, and product discovery—wherever you are and on your schedule.

This complimentary kickoff session will take place on Wednesday, October 14 and feature three gaming leaders to discuss the path to reopening and strategies for success. The virtual platform will then open for a two-week preview where you can explore sessions, search for vendors, and plan your agenda for G2E taking place October 27-28.

Video Guides

How to Register as an AGA Member Operator

How to Register as an AGA Member for Non-Exhibiting Vendors and Suppliers

Global Gaming Expo (G2E) will continue to bring the gaming industry together this fall through a new virtual experience. Get the benefits of a live event—expert education and thought leadership, networking opportunities, business meetings, and product discovery—wherever you are and on your schedule.

A complimentary kickoff session will take place on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 and feature three gaming leaders to discuss the path to reopening and strategies for success. The virtual platform will then open for a two-week preview where you can explore sessions, search for vendors, and plan your agenda for G2E taking place October 27-28.

Video Guides

How to Register as an AGA Member Operator

How to Register as an AGA Member for Non-Exhibiting Vendors and Suppliers

WASHINGTON – Today, the American Gaming Association sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reinforcing AGA’s priorities for successful legal sports betting markets and commitment to work with Sen. Schumer and all stakeholders working to stamp out the vast illegal market.

“AGA has long been a leading advocate for eliminating the vast illegal sports betting market in the U.S., which was largely enabled by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA),” the letter stated. “We believe this can best be achieved through law enforcement oversight and robust state regulation. AGA firmly believes that additional federal engagement is not warranted at this time.”

Read the full letter here.

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $261 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.8 million jobs nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming 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.

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WASHINGTON – Today, the American Gaming Association sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reinforcing AGA’s priorities for successful legal sports betting markets and commitment to work with Sen. Schumer and all stakeholders working to stamp out the vast illegal market.

“AGA has long been a leading advocate for eliminating the vast illegal sports betting market in the U.S., which was largely enabled by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA),” the letter stated. “We believe this can best be achieved through law enforcement oversight and robust state regulation. AGA firmly believes that additional federal engagement is not warranted at this time.”

Read the full letter here.

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $261 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.8 million jobs nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming 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.

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