Morning Consult Reports Increase in US Betting Participation

The United States is not slowing down so far as bettors go. In fact, despite the challenging regulatory climate and social distress brought on by the pandemic, the number of sports gamblers in the United States has doubled over the past 12 months, showing that entertainment remains an important aspect of daily lives to many sports fans.

According to data collated and presented by Morning Consult, a data intelligence firm, sports betting participation in the United State has been going one way, and that’s up. The historic data the company used cited interviews from January 2021, when five percent of adults said that they wagered on a game at least once a week.

This number jumped to 12% as of December 2021, the company now reveals. The firm provided detailed information and explained that the number of people who bet at least once a month has increased to one in five.

The first study, which was conducted in January, interviewed some 2,098 adults. The one that followed up in December interviewed 4,224 adults. While a margin error does exist, the firm is confident that this is within the one-percent margin. Notably, the Morning Consult survey discovered that more people from younger generations are finding sports betting appealing.

Bringing Youngsters into Sports Betting Fold

Casinos have shifted the focus on younger demographics, and so has sports betting. The under-35s have been the exclusive target audience of many sportsbooks, with longevity in mind. Morning Consult explained:

“Given the proliferation of online sports betting and operators’ focus on digital marketing, it should come as no surprise that younger Americans are the most inclined to place wagers on games.”

Morning Consult

Morning Consult confirms that these efforts have begun paying off as the firm saw an increase in Millennial bettors, along with Generation X and Y, who are now far more likely to bet on sports than their elders.

Part of this success has been owing to the sports betting business rapid changes, involving live betting markets, and various social games that created value for consumers rather than focused on eliciting real money wagers without offering substance.

As a result, 19% of adults between 21-34 confirmed that they gamble at least once a week and another 23% of adults between 35-44 said that they also bet at least once a week. However, Morning Consult did note that this activity encompasses both regulated and offshore markets.

Similarly, the company explained that while older generations could be a “tougher nut to crack,” there would be immense benefits for the companies who manage to reach that cohort. Sports betting uptake in the United State is going steady.