Business is booming for betting on the NFL.
The American Gaming Association estimates that $35 billion will be bet legally on the NFL this season, according to CNBC. That would be a 30 percent increase over last season, thanks to three more states legalizing sports gambling (bringing the total to 38 states where it’s legal to bet on the NFL) and the proliferation of betting options leading more people to bet more money.
More than 95 percent of that betting will be done online, as apps make it easier than ever to gamble from home, and while watching games.
For most of its history, the NFL distanced itself from gambling, often talking about the ills associated with gambling — including the obvious fact that most people who bet on sports lose money doing so. But since the 2018, when states beyond Nevada began to legalize sports betting, the league has embraced gambling as a way to increase interest in football. For the NFL, legal gambling has been good for business, and the growth of gambling doesn’t appear close to stopping.