Operator News
US – AGA predicts 47m Americans will bet on March Madness
By Phil - 15 March 2021
In tandem with the March Madness bracket reveal, the American Gaming Association (AGA) has released its latest consumer sports betting research showing more than 47m Americans plan to wager on this year’s tournament.
It expects 47.4m American adults to bet on March Madness, about the same number that indicated they would bet on the tournament in 2019. It believes 36.7m Americans will fill out a bracket, down eight per cent from 2019 with 30.6m Americans to place more traditional bets on this year’s tournament, up from 17.8m in 2019.
Also up is the number of people betting online with 17.8m expected to place a bet online, up 206 per cent from 5.8m in 2019, whilst 8.3 million will place a bet at a physical sportsbook, up 79 per cent from 2019. Interest in the tournament is up slightly from 2019, with 26 per cent of Americans saying they are extremely or very interested in the tournament, compared to 23 per cent two years ago. 42 per cent of fans said they followed college basketball more closely this season, with 70 per cent of those following more closely attributing their increased attention either somewhat or very significantly to the increased availability of legal sports betting. Gonzaga University is the betting public’s favorite to win the tournament with 17 per cent of the votes, followed by Florida State University at 11 per cent and Baylor University with eight per cent.
Although the number of Americans that will fill out a bracket this year is slightly down from 2019, the number of Americans planning to place a bet with a sportsbook has seen dramatic growth over the past two years. The number of Americans planning to wager on this year’s tournament via online sportsbooks will triple compared to 2019, while the number of Americans placing wagers at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks will nearly double.
Bill Miller, President & CEO of the AGA, said: “These figures clearly demonstrate sports betting’s popularity as the legal sports betting market expands. Since Virginia cut down the nets in 2019, 65.4 million more Americans in 13 new legal jurisdictions can safely place bets on the tournament. Legal sports betting also continues to prove its value to fan engagement, with 70 per cent of college basketball fans who were more interested in this year’s season attributing their elevated attention to increased access to legal action closer to home.”
“As legal sports betting grows, we continue to expand our Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly. campaign to educate fans on the fundamentals of responsible gaming, including where and how to bet legally,” he added. “Earlier this week, the AGA welcomed FanDuel as the campaign’s newest partner, just in time for March Madness. As part of its commitment to responsible gaming, FanDuel will make a multimillion-dollar media inventory commitment and plans to expand the initiative with its league, team and media partners. Partners like FanDuel, the NHL, NASCAR and the PGA TOUR will help unite the broader sports betting ecosystem around responsible gaming, and we’re excited about expanding the campaign even further in the coming weeks.”
One year after the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed our lives, the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ) announced that Atlantic City’s casinos are ready to celebrate the National College Basketball Championship throughout the month of March and safely welcome back more guests to the seaside resort destination. Atlantic City casinos have exciting offerings to enhance fans’ experience watching the unpredictable college basketball tournament.
“Atlantic City casinos are excited to safely welcome back fans to enjoy one of the biggest sporting events of the year,” said Steve Callender, President of the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ). “Leading up to the basketball tournament last year, Atlantic City seemed to be unstoppable. We were on a 21-month winning streak of revenue growth, our sportsbooks topped Nevada’s, and our diverse offerings were attracting new visitors. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the National College Basketball Championship was cancelled, stay at home orders were issued, and our casinos were closed for almost four months.”
“What a difference a year makes,” continued Callender. “We implemented wide-ranging safety protocols to safely welcome back guests and employees, our indoor dining capacity has increased, and curfew restrictions were lifted. We look forward to providing a sense of normalcy for our guests during this difficult time, while continuing to prioritize their health and safety through continued enforcement of mask and social distancing requirements. As the spring and summer seasons approach and the vaccine is distributed, we are optimistic about the future as we work to bring more people back to work and continue revitalizing Atlantic City’s economy.”
Governor Murphy recently announced that starting March 19, indoor dining will increase from 35 percent to 50 percent capacity, and Executive Order 230 will permit 50 percent capacity on the casino floor as well. He also signed Executive Order 219, lifting the 10:00 p.m. closing restriction. The casino floor remains open 24-hours a day, and food and beverages services can be available throughout the evening and overnight hours. Atlantic City casinos continue to implement comprehensive protocols developed in consultation with AtlantiCare to keep employees and guests safe.
