New Jersey Survey Finds Link between Betting and Viewership

The More We Bet, The More We Watch

In a recently conducted survey, a New Jersey university has confirmed that there is a link between how inclined people are to watch sporting events and whether they have placed a wager on the outcome of the games.

According to the Seton Hall Sports Poll, an accredited and established annual survey that explores consumer habits in relation to sports, people massively reported that they would most likely watch an event if they had a wager running.

The survey has been conducted every year since 2006, giving the Seton Hall University the necessary credibility to advise industry experts and sporting bodies and provide them with viable information and insight into how people respond to betting.

Gambling Will Help Viewership But Fear Games Can Be Fixed, Says Poll via @forbes https://t.co/OevRIgkxox

— SetonHall SportsPoll (@HallSportsPoll) December 4, 2018

The exact numbers revealed several trends. An estimated 70% of respondents are “more likely” to watch a sporting event, whether on TV or via a stream if they have a wager placed. A trend such as this would directly help major sporting leagues in the country cash out.

This number, however, was even greater when the researchers narrowed it down by a factor of age. Of the 18-29 group, 88% of respondents confirmed that they would watch a game if they had put money on it.

Another noteworthy observation of the survey was the proclivity of potential customers for mobile betting solutions. Nearly 40% said that they would much rather place a wager from their phones compared to any other device.

POLL: 70% of Americans say they are more likely to watch a sports event they bet on https://t.co/kaOv0c9B0F via @YahooFinance

— SetonHall SportsPoll (@HallSportsPoll) November 30, 2018

About 65% said that they would want to see states regulate their own affairs when it came to state betting, with 26% speaking in favor of a federal framework to oversee the entire industry.

However, respondents were worried about the future implications of a mass-scale sports betting industry, and specifically the effects that reckless gambling could have on the population. The youths who responded to the survey were less likely to be worried about this specific problem, the poll revealed.

PASPA – Right or Wrong?

Another interesting query was the recent developments around PASPA. The researchers sought the opinion of respondents whether the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) was right in its decision to cancel out the existing federal ban.

An estimated 40% responded in the affirmative with 16% being firmly against and 44% arguing that they had no opinion of the matter or were not quite well-informed to provide an answer.

The survey coincides with a popular opinion maintained by the American Gaming Association (AGA), an organization that champions the sports betting industry in the country, that legalizing sports betting would bring to higher viewership for all major leagues in the country. Some bodies, such as the NFL, will need to find new ways to boost an ailing viewership.

As an example, the MLB could see its revenue related to increased viewership rise by $1.1 billion whereas the NBA would see $585 million in extra funds coming its way. As to the most grossing league out there, the NFL, the numbers would be even greater with an estimated uptick of $2.3 billion every year.