Sports bets in the United States hit $9 bn

At least US$9 billion has been bet on sports in the US since the Supreme Court lifted the federal ban last year.

US.- On May 2018 the US Supreme Court decided to lift the federal ban on sports betting, giving states the option to decide whether they want to regulate the segment or not. A year after that ruling, it is estimated that more than US$9 billion has been bet legally on sports in the US.

As some states have already reported their financial results from May, the number of bets rises to US$8.9 billion for Nevada, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Mississippi. New Mexico is another state that offers sports betting but it doesn’t report its statistics to the public.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) revealed on Wednesday that US$319 million was bet on sports last month. Ever since the state legalised the industry in June 2018, the local casinos and racetracks have taken in US$2.9 billion, AP reports

“Overall the first year in New Jersey has been spectacular, but to be honest, I couldn’t give you enough positive adjectives to serve justice to the question,” said Johnny Avello, head of digital sportsbooks for DraftKings. “The future is mind-blowing, and with eight states active and an additional seven authorised to offer sports wagering in 2019, DraftKings is positioned to capitalise on these and subsequent markets.”

“New Jersey has shown how sports betting can benefit the state by setting up a competitive marketplace with retail and online operators working to better serve their customers and other states should be taking their lead from New Jersey,” said CEO Matt King. “From a company standpoint, we went through a merger, opened a retail destination and started online all within months of PASPA’s repeal and a year later, we are the market leader. It has been a proud moment for all of us.”