A study from marketplace intelligence company YieldSec has compared legal and illegal online gambling activities during the 2024 NCAA Men’s & Women’s March Madness US Basketball Tournaments.
Commissioned by the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, the study revealed up to 73 per cent of betting-related social media posts and up to 78 per cent of video content directing audiences to illegal betting and gambling operators.
YieldSec discovered that illegal gambling on March Madness comprised 64 per cent of US online marketplace wagering, and the total value of March Madness betting – both legal and illegal – amounted to a handle of $6.7bn.
A total of 378 illegal sports betting operators actively targeted the USA, and 651 affiliates promoted illegal sports betting operators that actively targeted the USA.
"This Yield Sec special report illustrates the dire need for a comprehensive strategy to tackle illegal gambling in the US,” said Derek Webb, founder of CFG. “The lack of a united government approach and lax oversight by states have only compounded the problem, enabling entities with dubious backgrounds to operate freely.
“It's high time for US leadership to spearhead a unified solution to this pervasive issue."
