AGA Expects 33.2m Americans to Bet on the NFL 2020/21 Season

An estimated 33.2 million US residents will bet on the NFL 2020/21 season this year. In comparison, 40 million adults bet during NFL 2019/20.  

AGA Reveals Number of Expected Sports Bettors for 2020/21 NFL Season

A new survey released by the American Gaming Association (AGA) has revealed that 13% of American adults are planning to bet on the National Football League (NFL) games. That is some 33.2 million people who are willing to place a bet on the 2020/21 NFL campaign, the survey suggests.

For the first time, AGA provided far more comprehensive and interesting data, breaking the 33.2 million into multiple categories, according to their preferences and mode of wagering.

Based on that data, 20% of the population – 6.6 million people – will wager at physical and legal sportsbooks, an 18% increase year-over-year. Estimated 34% or 11.3 million people will wager through both legal and illegal online platforms, an increase of 29%.

Meanwhile, 18% or 6 million people plan on betting either in person or via a mobile platform, up 12% from 2019. Next, AGA found out that 8.6 million or 26% percent would only bet casually through pools, fantasy contests and squares, down 31% from last year.

The slump in fantasy sports betting contests is ascribed to the availability of real sports betting products in close to 20 states today. Another interesting metric was the fact that 50% or 16.6 million will bet casually with friends, coworkers, and family, again 53% down.

Sports Fans Are Excited to Bet on the NFL

AGA paid attention to both casual and sworn sports betting fans, arguing that sports bettors are significantly more likely to be excited and bet on NFL games. According to AGA, 54% of all sports bettors will be betting on NFL games whereas only 18% of the general population would consider placing a wager.

Estimated 41% of self-professed NFL fans will place a bet compared to 12% of casual NFL Fans. Previously, AGA noted that the NFL could be earning as much as $2.3 billion annually from establishing closer ties with gambling firms.

However, 2020 may also be the year when we will see fewer sports betting fans coming out and placing a wager, a mix of economic decline and limited opportunity to place a bet due to the coronavirus lockdown.

AGA President and CEO Bill Miller remained positive, giving a positive outlook for betting in the United States, though:

“The NFL traditionally drives a significant amount of action from sports bettors, and this year appears to be no different. While we’ve known for a long time that bettors are more engaged fans—particularly when it comes to football—continuing to drive them to the legal market is essential for protecting consumers and the integrity of the games they wager on.”

The survey did reveal that 4 in 10 Americans argued that they are less excited about the upcoming season. Among the reasons why people felt less excited were the increased political activism (36%) followed by the absence of fans in stadiums (19%) and the inability to watch the games with friends (17%).

Interestingly, AGA was able to capture which teams sports fans would bet the most on. The Kansas City Chiefs will be backed by 13% of bettors to win the Super Bowl. Then, 9% of the support will go to the Dallas Cowboys followed by 5% for each of these franchises: the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers