Consumers in the US placed legal sports bets totalling $13bn (£10.0bn/€11.8bn) in 2019, almost double the $6.6bn that was wagered in the previous year, according to data released by the American Gaming Association (AGA).
A total of 14 states offered some form of sports wagering during the 12 months through to December 31, 2019, with certain states launching regulated markets for the first time.
The AGA said that 59% of total sports bets in 2019 were placed outside Nevada, which, prior to the repeal of PASPA in May 2018, was the only state in the US where consumers could legally wager on sports. According to the AGA, seven out of every 10 dollars wagered outside Nevada were done so online.
However, players still spent the most on betting in Nevada, with total wagers in the state amounting to $5.3bn – a new yearly record for the state – ahead of New Jersey on $4.6bn and Pennsylvania on $1.5bn.
