New American Gaming Association research shows consumers are moving their business away from illegal bookies and toward legal options.
Average spending with illegal bookies fell 25 per cent in legal sports betting states last year, while legal online and mobile betting spend increased 12 per cent. Illegal offshore operators also saw a three per cent increase in states with legal sports betting. The most influential factors for bettors who had shifted from the illegal to legal market are confidence that bets will be paid out (25 per cent), awareness of legal options (20 per cent) and a desire to use a regulated book (19 per cent).
“We’ve known for a long time that Americans like to bet on sports. This research affirms their interest in moving toward the protections of the legal market,” said AGA president and CEO Bill Miller.
“Giving consumers convenient alternatives to the illegal market, like regulated mobile offerings and competitive odds, is key for getting bettors to switch to legal channels.” Bettors overwhelmingly prefer legal operators, with 74 per cent saying it is important to only bet through legal providers. Despite this, 52 per cent of sports bettors participated in the illegal market in 2019.
The study found that illegal sports betting is driven largely by confusion about online operators. More than half (55 per cent) of consumers who placed most of their wagers with illegal operators believed they bet legally. “Illegal, offshore operators continue to take advantage of unknowing consumers,” continued Miller. “This only worsened during the sports shutdown, with unregulated bookmakers offering odds on everything from the weather and shark migration patterns to whether your friends’ marriage will survive the pandemic.
"The AGA is focused on educating customers on how to wager legally and the dangers of the illegal market, especially with the return of the MLB and NBA this month.” To help educate bettors, the AGA’s interactive sports betting map includes a comprehensive directory of licensed online and retail sportsbooks in states where sports betting is legal.
In addition, the AGA is actively collaborating with federal and state law enforcement to enhance our collective understanding of the illegal marketplace; engaging publishers and media to ensure their platforms do not promote the illegal marketplace; and educating the public about the dangers associated with illegal sports betting operators. As states continue to consider legalising sports betting, AGA's newly updated sports betting principles encourage policymakers to build regulatory frameworks that protect customers, ensure robust oversight, create a competitive environment, and promote customer convenience.
