5 Years In, Americans Largely in Favor of Ending PASPA

The overwhelming majority of adult people in the United States have said that they support the end of PASPA, the federal piece of legislation known as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act which made it impossible for individual states to introduce sports betting as a legal and taxable branch of the economy.

Americans Embrace Sports Betting and Turn to Legal Sportsbooks

Since 2018, however, and with the ruling of the US Supreme Court, PASPA has been overturned and more than 33 states have legalized sports gambling in the years that followed. According to AGA, 85% of the country’s adult population is of the opinion that this was the right move, up from 63% in 2019.

An estimated 77% of American adults are in favor of betting legalization in their own state, and more than 39.2 million adults of the legal gambling age have bet on legal and regulated sports betting contests in the 12 months leading up to the research.

According to AGA, 78% of bettors bet through regulated operators, which is a significant loss of the clout and presence of offshore gambling operators. Calls to end offshore gambling operators with the help of the US Department of Justice have been heard from local state regulators and the general public.

The good news is that the channelization into the black market has been declining steadily. AGA also found out that 77% of all online sports bets were placed with a regulated sportsbook compared to only 44% in 2019. Promotional and public awareness campaigns have been a contributing factor to this.

AGA President and CEO Bill Miller was particularly happy with the outlook and what has been achieved over the past years. He said that American adults finally have the opportunity to enjoy betting on sports and overwhelmingly turn to the regulated market in the United States.

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.

AGA President and CEO Bill Miller

Black Market Channelization Is Diminishing

Since the regulated sports gambling market has been launched in the country, Americans are said to have bet more than $220 billion across the nation, with $3 billion generated in state and local taxes. AGA has been able to also gauge attitudes amongst gamblers who still stick to offshore and unregulated operators.

According to the association’s research, at least 46% of the bettors who are known to bet offshore confirmed that they are planning to switch back to the regulated market. Meanwhile, nine out of 10 bettors who bet via regulated markets said that they are going to stay with licensed operators moving forward, or 90% of the people who bet legally.

Consumer awareness has also improved significantly. Only 29% of American adults argue that they are “unsure” about the legality of sportsbooks. This means that the majority of adults know how to find, spot, and differentiate between legal and illegal sportsbooks.

“Five years post-PASPA, the AGA and our members continue to support responsibly expanding the legal market while cracking down on predatory illegal operators,” Miller said optimistic about what the future of regulated gambling in the United States holds for the country.