British research and data analytics firm YouGov is analyzing America’s sports betting industry.
The London-based firm has released its US Bettor Research Report for 2024, which details the most popular sportsbooks, their features, and what’s next for the industry.
YouGov surveyed more than 2,000 people in January from regulated markets across the country. The firm surveyed Americans who had placed wagers on sports in the previous 12 months and also patrons who had not wagered on sports in the previous year but planned to do so in the next 12 months. Current bettors made up 71% of the survey’s respondents with the remaining 29% being prospective bettors. YouGov considered age, gender, race, political affiliation, education level, and region in its methodology.
Age demographics
YouGov’s research found that 65% of sportsbook users in the U.S. in the last 12 months are aged between 25 and 44 with the majority of bettors being male. Males also make up 57% of prospective bettors with females coming in at 43%, a significant jump from the 28% of active female bettors. Age also correlates to the number of sportsbooks used.
The report found that 73% of active bettors used more than one sportsbook app in one month while 43% used more than three operators. Bettors aged 55 and older made up 44% of respondents who use only one betting app. That same age demographic dropped to 17% for bettors who use three or more sportsbooks in a month-long period.
Wide range of sportsbooks
British operator bet365 has solidified its footprint in America’s sports betting markets by surpassing DraftKings as the most popular sportsbook for bettors aged 21-24 at 31%.
Boston-based DraftKings closed at 25% for the same age range with FanDuel finishing third at 22%. Fanatics Sportsbook and BetRivers were the least popular operators for bettors aged 21-24 with both closing at 3%. WynnBet, which shuttered online operations in nine states earlier this year, saw bettors aged 21-24 using the sportsbook at a 6% rate.
DraftKings emerged as the most popular sportsbook for bettors aged 55 and older while emerging operators bet355 and ESPN Bet both reported only 4% users in that age range.
ESPN Bet and BetMGM both garnered favor from 8% of respondents aged 25 through 34.
YouGov’s report found a willingness of bettors to use emerging brands, including bet365, ESPN Bet, and 888 Sport. Overall, 60% of respondents said they are using bet365 more with 888 Sport seeing an increased usage rate of 58%. Caesars Sportsbook closed as the operator with the least momentum with bettors using it more at a 35% clip.
Collectively, DraftKings was the most popular sportsbook for all age ranges with bettors using the app at a 35% rate compared to FanDuel, which fell slightly behind at 32%.
Popular sportsbook features
Accessibility emerged as an important aspect of wagering for those included in YouGov’s report. Around 74% of all respondents believe in-app sportsbook features that allow users to place a bet while watching sports are important. The ability to live bet while watching is also important with 78% of all ages believing that it is an important feature. For respondents aged 25-44, the importance of live betting reached 80%. Profit boosts and the ability to see statistics inside sportsbook apps are also paramount for bettors. In-app statistics drew the interest of 77% of all aged respondents with profit boosts at 75%.
YouGov’s report provides a comprehensive look into what sports bettors of all demographics want out of their experiences with licensed operators across the U.S. As more states authorize wagering and bettors continue to engage the industry will shift.
