As the sports betting and online casino industry descend upon the Meadowlands Exposition Center for SBC Summit North America, one course of discussion that is likely to dominate is the five-year anniversary of the repeal of PASPA.
Marking the occasion that allowed the sports betting industry to boom in the US, the American Gaming Association has published research suggesting that public support for decision is through the roof, as 85% of participants agreed with the Supreme Court’s ruling. This is up from 63% support back in 2019
Conducting the research with Hearts+Minds Strategies by conducting an online survey with a 21+ sample of 1,066 general population adults, the AGA revealed that support for sports betting in respondents’ home state is at 77%, while 77% of bets are made with legal operators, compared to just 44% back in 2019.
The AGA stressed that the repeal of PASPA has been monumental in keeping players protected from black market operators, with regulated operators allowing players to bet safely and responsibly.
“American adults have always enjoyed betting on sports, and overwhelmingly value the ability to bring their action into a legal market, close to home,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “The rapid spread of legal sports betting—fueled by regulated, responsible entities—has contributed to communities and established consumer protections by migrating betting away from the illegal market monopoly that PASPA perpetuated.”
Further findings of the survey include that around 46% of those who do bet with unregulated operators are planning to migrate to legal sportsbooks within the next 12 months, as states such as Vermont and Kentucky open up to sports betting in 2023 or 2024.
Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of players do intend to keep playing with regulated operators citing several key reasons, including the 71% that have confidence their bets will be paid out, increased confidence in account security, and the RG tools available
The survey also explored consumer awareness of sports betting in the US, with a particular focus on regulated operators. It found that 29% of American adults say they are unsure of the legality of online sportsbooks in their state. This marks a reduction of 45% since 2018.
On a less positive note, 70% of sports bettors who placed most of their bets with illegal operators believed they were betting either exclusively with legal sportsbooks or splitting their bets evenly between legal and illegal operators.
In response to these findings, the AGA noted that it is pleased that players have a significantly better understanding of the legal betting options available, there is more work to do on the consumer education front to better protect American bettors.
Miller concluded: “Five years post-PASPA, the AGA and our members continue to support responsibly expanding the legal market while cracking down on predatory illegal operators.
“The regulated industry and our partners across the entire ecosystem—policymakers, law enforcement, regulators, leagues, media, technology providers and more—have made significant strides in our collaborative consumer education efforts since 2018, and we will continue to find new ways to enhance consumer protections as the market matures.”
