33M Americans Expected to Place Bets on the NFL This Season

The results of the American Gaming Association’s national survey of expected betting activity for the 2020 NFL season were released just in time for the actual opening of the season on September 10, 2020.

According to the survey a total of 33.2M Americans are expected to bet on the National Football League this season. That number represents 13% of American adults in the country. Of the estimated 33.2M expected bettors, the following were noted in the survey:

• 20% (6.6 million) will wager at physical, legal sportsbooks, up from 18% last year.
• 34% (11.3 million) will place a bet through legal and illegal online platforms, up from 29%.
• 18% (6 million) will wager with a bookie, either in person or via a mobile platform, up from 12%.
• 26% (8.6 million) will bet casually through pools, fantasy contests, and squares, down from 31%.
• 50% (16.6 million) will bet casually with friends, family, or coworkers, down from 53%.

Those numbers are promising, given the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Those figures are also impressive, considering that the survey revealed that NFL fans aren’t enthusiastic about the 2020 NFL season as compared to the previous years.

Bettors Are the Most Excited

According to the American Gaming Association, 42% of American adults are less excited about the current NFL season. That group cited increased political activism (36%), the absence of a live audience (19%), and the inability to watch the games with friends (17%) as the main reasons for their decreased interest.

In contrast, those who plan to bet on the NFL (54%) are more likely to say that they are excited about the current season than those who say they are NFL fans (41%) and the general public (18%). For the NFL, these are the numbers that matter most to them.

Additionally, the study polled bettors on who they would bet $50 on to win the 2021 Super Bowl, and not surprisingly, the 13% said they were putting their money on the Kansas City Chiefs. The defending Super Bowl champions opened the 2020 NFL season on Thursday, defeating the Houston Texans 34-20. MVP Patrick Mahomes made history by becoming the first quarterback to throw three TD passes with no interception in three consecutive season openers.

NFL Sports Betting Could Be Worth $2.3B

In 2018, A Nielsen Sports study commissioned by the American Gaming Association estimated that the NFL’s revenue could increase by $2.3B per year if sports betting would be legalized in the United States. Since the US Supreme Court repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, more and more states have opened up to legal sports betting. The number continues to grow.

The AGA report stated that seven jurisdictions have launched legal sports betting since the start of the 2019 NFL season.

A total of 18 states plus Washington D.C. have legalized sports betting while seven other states are considering legalization while 11 out of the 23 states that are home to NFL teams offer legal sports betting. This season, a total of 29M more fans have access to legal sports betting in their home states than the start of the 2019 season which is a 54% increase.

About the Survey

The research was conducted for the American Gaming Association by Morning Consult. The data intelligence company held a national survey of 2,200 Americans from August 24-27, 2020. The data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, gender, race, religion, and educational attainment. According to the company, the survey has a margin of error of +/- 2 percent.

The American Gaming Association is the organization that represents the US gaming industry, including but not limited to Commercial and Tribal casinos, gaming suppliers, and gambling-related entities. It represents a business industry that is worth over $200B and which employs an estimated 1.8M jobs across the United States.