The Latest in US Sports Handling Figures from Betsson
Betsson, the Stockholm-based sports betting company, recently released a report of the US betting market in conjunction with GambleID. The information in the report is relevant for all those in the industry who have tracked the progress of the US sports betting market in the years since sports betting has become more regulated and accepted in the country.
The survey was conducted by inviting volunteer bettors to respond as well as operators. Of the bettors, the overwhelming majority were men between the ages of 25 to 44.
Half of Bettors Bet Daily
Though sports betting is still not available in every US state, the findings from Betsson and GambleID reveal that it has indeed grown in popularity and seems poised to grow further. In the US, out of those who bet, more than half wager on a daily basis. A third wager once a week or more.
Given the frequency of these reported bets, one might believe that bettors are spending considerable sums on wagers. Though some do, the findings of the survey show that about a third of bettors actually spend less than $100 on a monthly basis. Only 1% shared that they bet more than $10,000 monthly. However, 9% of the interviewees chose not to answer this question, so it is difficult to have a complete picture based on customer answers alone.
Brand Loyalty Not a Deciding Factor for Bettors
One of the other fascinating revelations of the report has to do with so-called brand loyalty. There has been a common misconception that bettors tend to pick one betting platform and stick with it.
However, out of those surveyed, most have downloaded four or more apps, with 21% using many regularly. In fact, only 5% of the surveyed bettors bet with just one sportsbook brand.
Point Spreads are King
The survey also featured questions about what types of bets are most popular. As experienced bettors will know, there are many different approaches to sports betting, and each bettor has their preferred method.
According to the Betsson survey, a staggering 81% of bettors like to use point spreads. However, 69% go for moneyline bets, where the results are dependent on the overall winner of a match. 63% of bettors enjoyed over/under bets and 54% regularly try prop bets.
It remains to be seen whether prop bets specifically will become more or less favorable, especially considering that they have been banned in several states already. The president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Charlie Baker, has also spoken out against prop bets within college sports, preferring there to be an outright ban.
Meanwhile, college and professional football came out on top as the country’s most popular betting sport — a phenomenon that is also likely related to the popularity of DFS, given the relationship between DFS play and sports betting.
It is probably unsurprising that basketball is the next leading sport. However, an interesting detail of the report is that golf ranks third, beating out tennis, martial arts, esports and soccer.