Big Betting Surge Expected Thanks to March Madness

Online Betting Surge Expected During March Madness

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 20 March 2021

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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With March Madness now in full swing, many sports fans are enjoying the chance to place their bets after the disappointment of the event being affected by the pandemic last year. According to some industry officials, this year will see a surge in bets being placed online as a result of more states legalizing online sports betting over the past year.

The American Gaming Association has said that it expects a surge in online betting during March Madness this year, although people will still use traditional betting methods as well. While overall betting is expected to be close to levels seen in 2019 before the pandemic, many believe that people will bet slightly differently this time around, with more placing their bets online.

Over 47 Million Expected to Place Bets

Figures from the AGA show that more than 47 million people are expected to place bets on the tournament this year. This same number was predicted back in 2019 during the last tournament held, but last year the event had to be canceled due to the global pandemic.

Following a survey that was carried out by the association, officials from the AGA believe that nearly 38 million people will fill out a bracket. However, the AGA also said that despite this being the most common method of placing a bet, the figure was 8 percent lower than two years ago when the last tournament was held.

When it comes to online betting, the AGA expects the figure to rise by more than 200 percent this year compared to 2019. More than 17 million people are expected to go online to place their bets, with more and more now having legal access to online betting facilities.

Bill Miller from the AGA said:

As consumers formerly limited to bracket contests now enjoy access to legal sportsbook options, they also plan to place traditional sports bets as March Madness returns.

He added that there had been a dramatic change in the sports betting arena since the last event in 2019 and that betting had been ‘transformed’ since that time.

Many Sports Fans Eager to Place Bets

After missing out on the tournament last year, there will be many people eager to place their bets in this year’s event. The availability of online betting in many states means that many can now look forward to increased ease and convenience when it comes to placing their bets.

Over the past year, a number of states have legalized online sports betting, which has helped both operators and state officials to recoup some of the massive losses experienced. The pandemic has taken its toll on state economies, and many states have prioritized the legalization of online sports betting and casinos in a bid to try and reverse these losses to some degree.

As a result, there could be some big changes this year when it comes to how people place their bets on March Madness. Both retail and online sportsbooks are expected to enjoy a successful year for March Madness betting.