Americans show overwhelming support for legal sports betting

New research indicates that 63% of Americans support the decision from the US Supreme Court to strike down the federal ban.

US.- The American Gaming Association (AGA) released new research, which once again proves that a majority of Americans support the legalisation of sports betting after the US Supreme Court struck down the federal ban. A record 8-in-10 Americans support legalising sports betting in their states, the research shows.

Ever since the federal ban was lifted, ten states and the District of Columbia have authorised sports betting, while fifteen have active or pre-filed bills to legalise the segment in their jurisdictions. Moreover, over a dozen are likely to consider the legalisation in 2019, therefore it does not come as a surprise that Americans are in favor of states having the autonomy to decide whether they want to offer sports betting or not.

Findings show that two thirds of those surveyed (66%) agree that regulation and oversight of gaming should be left to those jurisdictions. The research also shows that there is little public support for professional sports leagues taking a share of sports betting revenue by getting a cut of the amount wagered. While 23% are in favor of it, 55% are against such thing.

“The results of this research are overwhelmingly clear: consumers want legal sports betting, they believe it should be regulated by state and tribal governments and they don’t think the leagues should get a cut,” said Sara Slane, senior vice president of the American Gaming Association. “This weekend, 23 million Americans will wager a staggering $6 billion on the Super Bowl. To put that in perspective, Americans will bet around the same amount on this one event as they bet legally in all of 2018.

“However, Americans will continue to bet illegally without access to safe, regulated alternatives. With sports betting legislation flooding state capitals across the country, legislators can pursue these opportunities knowing they have the support of their constituents. AGA will continue to advocate for the inclusion of sensible gaming policies wherever it is being considered, including consumer protections and reasonable tax rates that enable the legal, regulated market to compete with illegal bookies and offshore operators.”