Huge Rise in the Numbers of Online Betting Players in 2020

Popularity of Online Sports Betting Soars During 2020 Online Betting

Popularity of Online Sports Betting Soars During 2020

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 21 December 2020

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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Many sports fans love nothing more than to place bets on their favorite sports, and traditionally they have done this by going to betting shops and retail sportsbooks. However, in 2020 this became impossible for a period due to retail establishments being closed down for several months because of the global pandemic.

Fortunately for the sports betting industry, online sports betting was already in place in a number of states following the overturning of PASPA by the Supreme Court in 2018.

This meant that many were able to continue placing wagers online or via their mobile devices. While the world of live sports came to a standstill for some weeks, bettors found other things to wager on.

The popularity of online sportsbooks was already high before the pandemic, but during the first wave, online sports betting as well as online casino gaming soared. With many people on lockdown, a lot of sports fans turned to online sportsbooks for entertainment and fun, plus the closure of physical sportsbooks meant online betting was the only option.

More States Launched Online Sports Betting

Despite the chaos caused by COVID-19, a number of states have managed to launch online sports betting over the course of the year. Colorado was one such state, which launched in the midst of the pandemic in May. Another state to launch online sports betting was Tennessee, which launched very recently in November.

Uniquely, Tennessee offers only online sports betting, with no retail venues, and officials confirmed that the launch was very successful. Many are hoping that the popularity of online sportsbooks in the state will help to boost economic activity, as well as provide entertainment for sports fans.

After the release of figures relating to the handle for the first week of sports betting, Tennessee Education Lottery president and CEO Rebecca Hargrove said:

These numbers are encouraging as we work to protect the consumer, promote fairness in sports and regulate this new Tennessee industry that provides critical funds for education, as well as local governments and problem gambling services.

As more and more states legalize and launch online sports betting, a rising number of sports fans will have access to these platforms. This will add to the already rocketing popularity of online sports betting, and even once the pandemic is over many are likely to continue using online sports betting platforms.

Helping to Reduce Illegal Sports Betting

Another benefit that is likely to come from the launch of online sports betting in more states is that it could help to reduce illegal sports betting activities. Recent reports have shown that illegal sportsbooks are still a huge problem in the US, and they are generating far more revenue than their legal counterparts.

By launching legal online sports betting in more places around the country, and also raising awareness about illegal sportsbooks, officials hope to reduce this ongoing issue. Many sports fans do not realize they are using illegal sportsbooks, but if something goes wrong, they have no protection in place.