15% of US Betting On NFL
According to the American Gambling Association, a record number of bets are expected to be placed on the upcoming 2019 NFL season. A recent increase in the states which have legalised gambling means that 15% of the US population are now expected to bet on NFL games this year.
This translates into a total of 38 million bettors, with capacity for this figure to increase even further if other states opt to follow suit and legalise gambling. There are currently 13 states where betting is legal, compared to just 5 states a year ago. If gambling were made legal all over the US, 24% of the population admitted they would bet.
At the heart of this surge in interest are technology and innovation, making it easier and more convenient for players to participate.
Digital Payments
The industry recognised that in order to grow, placing bets had to be simple for players. Following trends elsewhere in the market, betting is used technology such as digital payments to introduce a slick and efficient system.
FIS, one of the leading payment service providers, believes that within the next three years digital wallets will become the preferred means of payment globally. Mobile apps and the use of smartphones means that consumers expect to be able to transfer money and update their account in real time. A digital wallet allows them to achieve this while still keeping them safe and secure.
Another trend which is yet to fully emerge is the inclusion of cryptocurrencies. A select number of online casinos have begun to accept well-known cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and the numbers are slowly rising.
The advantage of these newer methods of payment and withdrawal is a much faster processing speed. Using traditional means such as debit and credit cards meant having to wait several days for the bank to process the money. That’s not the case with digital payments.
Continued Innovation
A recent ruling from the US Supreme Court saw the number of states allowing gambling almost triple, and there’s now an appetite to allow each state to decide its own legal position. In addition, they’re also able to determine how they want to regulate or govern gambling.
This offers opportunities for individual states to raise more revenue by not only permitting legal gambling but also lifting restrictions that require in-person payments. By modernising and streamlining the process to include mobile payments, the potential to generate considerable tax revenue is almost unlimited. And of course, for gamblers wanting to bet on their favourite NFL game, this can only be good news.
