Report: Nearly half US adults support legal sports betting, opinion unchanged since PASPA's repeal

According to a new survey conducted by Arizona State University’s Global Sport Institute, the current sports betting boom taking over the US hasn’t changed how most people feel about the polarizing market.

Even though now more than half of the nation’s states have legalized sports gaming in some form over the last few years, the momentum has not swayed public opinions on wagering. The new study shows that 44% of respondents supported the ability to place bets at games, while only 16% opposed.

The survey, which was conducted by OH Predictive Insights among 2,400 adult participants across January 13-19, shows that 62% of respondents don’t participate in sports betting, remaining unaffected by the mix of new regulations and promotions. Additionally, 79% of respondents claimed the growing number of avenues to place bets and of states that have legalized the market had no effect on their view of sports.

According to Scott Brooks, Global Sport Institute’s director of research, the fact that more than half of respondents are not influenced at all by the latest developments across the sports gaming market proves that there exists a distinct difference between being open to legalization, and participating in gaming.

“This doesn’t seem to be making a big change at the moment,” Brooks told Sportico. “People are pretty stuck with their ideas of betting, whether that’s a good thing or not, particularly if they’re willing to bet.”

NEW: In a national poll conducted with @OHPredictive seeking to identify perception and awareness of legal sports betting, the Global Sport Institute found that 44% of Americans supported legal gambling, though many still do not bet themselves.

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— Global Sport Inst. (@GlobalSportASU) January 31, 2022

Other key findings of the study show that, despite a rise in sports betting advertisement, 43% of respondents claim they have not been exposed to ads promoting gambling on TV or anywhere else, with 13% unsure. About 22% said they would feel “more likely to bet” after watching an ad. 

Additionally, the survey shows that higher-earning men ages 34-54 (54%) are most in favor of sports gaming, while men older than 65 oppose betting the most (31%). Breaking down data by race shows Hispanic and blacks view sports betting more favorably compared to whites and non-Hispanics, with increases of 16% and 18%, respectively.

It is also worth noting that, despite the surge in mobile sports betting, which in many states makes up most of the betting handle, respondents said in-person wagering remained their preferred way to game (49%). 

The study also concluded older women tend to be the least positive on the concept of sports betting, while the most common source of sports betting information tends to be television and word of mouth. However, this greatly varies by age: older Americans favor traditional sources, while younger bettors favor tech-intensive sources.

Sports Betting Market is expected to reach US$ 13,941 by 2028 with a considerable CAGR of 10% during the forecast period of 2021 to 2028.
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— Acumen Research (@AcumenRC) December 9, 2021

The new study arrives at a moment in which sports betting is not only taking over the US but the global market. According to a recent report by provider of market intelligence and consulting services Acumen Research and Consulting, the global sports gaming market could reach $13,941 million by 2028.

While it accounted for $6,529 million in 2020, the market could more than double that figure by the end of the decade, attributable to people’s rising affinity for betting, ongoing updates, and technical breakthroughs. Acumen also forecasts CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 10% for the period of 2021 to 2028.

Another recent study by Beacon Research for US platform for betting analysis and advice Pickwise.com shows that as sports gaming grows in popularity, more and more American sports bettors now do significant research before placing their bets: three-quarters of respondents spend at least an hour weekly on research before placing bets

The survey, which was conducted among 1,500 self-identified bettors where the activity is legal, also found most sports gamers are men (75%) in their 30s and 40s (46%), 72% of them white. However, according to the report, new bettors tend to be younger and more diverse by gender and race.