AGA survey estimates 33 million will bet on NFL

The number is about 13 per cent of the US population.

US.- A survey by the American Gaming Association (AGA) reveals 33.2 million plan to place bets on the 2020 National Football League (NFL).

The number is roughly 13 per cent of the national population, but is down from 38 million estimated last year.

The survey suggests that casual betting is on the decline. While 50 per cent said they would place bets casually with friends family and coworkers, in 2019 the figure was 53 per cent.

Likewise, the number who said they would bet casually through pools, fantasy contests and squares also fell, down to 26 per cent from 31 per cent last year.

In a surprising contrast considering the ongoing pandemic, the number of respondents who said they would wager at physical legal sportsbooks, increased to 20 per cent, up from 18 per cent in 2019.

The use of online platforms is also on the increase, with 34 per cent stating they will use online sites (both legal and illegal) to place their bets. That’s an increase of five percentage points since last year’s survey.

On the subject of illegal wagering, the AGA pointed out that 55 per cent of bettors who use illegal platforms do so unknowingly. With legal sports betting expanding across the US, it emphasised the importance of educating bettors to lead them into the direction of the legal market.

AGA president and CEO Bill Miller said: “The NFL traditionally drives a significant amount of action from sports bettors, and this year appears to be no different.

“While we’ve known for a long time that bettors are more engaged fans –particularly when it comes to football – continuing to drive them to the legal market is essential for protecting consumers and the integrity of the games they wager on.”