AGA Predicts Americans Will Wager $3.1B on Basketball in 2025

The American Gaming Association (AGA) predicts that bettors in the United States will spend some $3.1 billion on men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments. If so, this would mark a noticeable increase from $2.7 billion in 2024.

AGA Predicts Americans to Wager More Than They Did Last Year

The AGA said that its estimation is based on the continuous expansion US sports betting industry. As more states legalize betting and the market grows in popularity more and more people have been willing to engage in wagers that bring them closer to the sports action.

The industry body emphasized that a total of 38 states and Washington DC have so far launched legal sports betting. Thanks to the repeal of the PASPA in 2018, wagering has rapidly expanded, becoming a trusted and beloved form of entertainment for many. According to the AGA’s 2024 American Attitudes Survey, some 75% of all Americans support legal sports betting in their home states.

The association furthermore argued that the projected growth underscores the growing trust in the legal sports betting market. In its 2024 American Attitudes Survey, it noted that a staggering 90% now view sports betting as an acceptable form of entertainment.

March Is Very Important to Basketball Betting

The AGA highlighted March as a very important month for basketball betting in particular. The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, also known as March Madness, has cemented itself as one of the most important events in the American sporting calendar and a prime time for wagering.

The senior vice president of strategic communications at the AGA, Joe Maloney, said:

March Madness is one of the most exciting times in American sports, with fans fired up for both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments. As legal wagering expands across the U.S., more fans than ever have the opportunity to bet legally and responsibly.

Joe Maloney, SVP of strategic communications, AGA

March Is Also a Month for Responsible Bets

The AGA added that throughout March, its Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly. campaign will continue to promote safer gambling among American customers. The association urged players to follow its five key principles, which include setting a budget and sticking to it, playing socially, knowing the odds, choosing legal betting platforms and keeping one’s cool.

The last one is the latest addition to the program’s principles and seeks to encourage players to keep their cool whether their bets win or not.

Speaking of which, March is National Problem Gambling Month – a time when industry stakeholders and regulators join forces to promote responsible gaming and raise awareness about the safer gambling tools available to players.