Americans Will Wager $8.5 Billion on March Madness

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47 Million People Plan to Place Bets on NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

Americans plan to wager $8.5 billion on this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament, with 1-in-5 adults placing a bet, according to a new survey released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA).

Key findings from the survey, conducted by Morning Consult, include:

  • 47 million American adults will wager $8.5 billion on March Madness;
  • $4.6 billion will be wagered on a collective 149 million brackets by more than 40 million people;
  • Nearly 18 million people will wager $3.9 billion at a sportsbook, online, with a bookie or with a friend;
    • 4.1 million will place a bet at a casino sportsbook or using a legal app;
    • 2.4 million will bet illegally with a bookie; and
    • 5.2 million will bet online, likely at illegal offshore sites.
  • The plurality of bettors favors Duke (29%) to win, followed by Gonzaga (9%), North Carolina (8%), Kentucky (7%), Virginia (5%) and Michigan (5%).

“During this year’s tournament – the first in post-PASPA America – sports fans are expected to bet 40% more than they did on this year’s Super Bowl,” said Bill Miller, AGA’s president and chief executive officer. “Unlike any other sporting event in the country, March Madness attracts millions who fill out brackets, make casual bets with friends or wager at a legal sportsbook, which Americans can now do more than ever before.”

Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in May 2018, more than $5.9 billion has been wagered in the now-eight states with legal, regulated sports betting, enabling consumer protections and generating valuable tax revenue for state, local and tribal governments across the country.

“These results indicate there’s still work to do to eradicate the vast illegal sports betting market in this country, and we’re committed to ensuring sound policies are in place to protect consumers, like the 47 million Americans who will bet on March Madness,” continued Miller.

Sports betting legalization is currently being considered in 23 states across the country.