Recently appointed President and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA), Bill Miller, has embraced greater freedoms to legally wager bets on sporting events in the US.
It comes as a result of a new survey conducted by Morning Consult, revealed by the AGA. that estimates that 1 in 10 US adults have planned to place bets on Super Bowl LIII.
The survey also found that wagers, totalling $6bn, will be placed by 22.7 million punters, with the Rams having a small majority of 52 per cent of the bets, the Patriots with 48 per cent.
Using next weekend’s Super Bowl game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams as a point of reference, Miller pointed out: “The interest in legal, regulated sports betting in the United States has never been higher.
“More Americans than ever before will be able to place their bets with legal sportsbooks now operating in eight states, generating valuable revenue for state, local and tribal governments and increasing fan engagement with the game.”
Results from the survey also revealed that 1.8 million Americans have already planned to wager bets via an illegal betting firm, with millions more expected to bet illegally through offshore online sportsbooks.
Miller added: “these results, however, also point to the continued viability of the dangerous, illegal sports betting market in America. It is more important than ever for jurisdictions to enact sound policies that provide a safe, legal alternative with protections for the nearly 23 million Americans who will place a bet on the big game.”
Insider Insight: Looking at the results of the Morning Consult survey, it strongly suggests that betting companies need to establish a united front in adopting stronger integrity policies. Without this, punters will continue to wager bets at the illegal sportsbooks.