Survey Says 35% of Americans Bet on Sports Online

According to a new study released by the Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) and St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School of Communication, 35% of Americans bet on sports, 19% own online sports betting accounts, while 93% of them consider the activity to be fun and engaging.

Gambling Makes Game Watching More Interesting  

The survey also revealed that 85% of sports bettors consider gambling is able to enhance the games they watch while 80% believe they are capable of making money on their bets.

As for the reasons why 19% of the interviewed respondents decided to open a sports betting account online, 71 % of them mentioned registering with a promotion and receiving free money when creating the account.

Plus, 63% of bettors stated they owned more than one online sportsbook account.

Moreover, according to SCRI’s director, Don Levy, 75% of Americans admitted to watching online sportsbook advertisements, which is why there should be no surprise that “one in five have an account.”

Levy added that bettors called it fun while 48-40% of them agreed online sports betting was “a great form of entertainment allowing fans to gamble responsibly.”

Close to 40% of Bettors Feel They Bet More Than They Should 

Roughly one third of the survey participants answered affirmatively when asked if they knew anyone who has dealt with or is currently dealing with a problem related to betting on sports. 

Plus, 37% of bettors reported feeling either bad or ashamed when dealing with losing bets while 38% of them acknowledged they wagered more money than they should have.

Even more concerning, 18% of American bettors reported losing money that was aimed at covering their financial obligations or lying to someone about their betting habits. 

The survey showed that close to 60% of bettors had bet at least $100 in a single day while 24% of respondents claimed they placed bets of $500 or more during the same day.

Despite the fact that more than 50% of bettors also reported chasing a bet trying to recover from a loss and 22% had someone express their concern regarding their gambling, only 9% actively sought help or called a gambling hotline.

St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School of Communication’s dean, Aaron Chimbel, added that two thirds of sports fans consider online betting to generate gambling issues.

He also references study data that showed close to 50% of all Americans, including over 40% of avid fans, believe online betting “will corrupt organized sports” while supporting better regulations that would protect consumers. 

Finally, 49% of respondents support the legalization of online sports betting in all 50 states in the US and only 29% oppose it.

Last August, Men’s Health magazine conducted a survey that provided a more comprehensive insight into the preferences, habits, and possible risks tied to sports betting among different demographic groups.

In a similar study from November 2023 conducted by the Swedish Gambling Authority and research company Enkätfabriken, valuable insights were given into Swedes’ gambling habits and levels of awareness.