As March Madness grips the nation, the American Gaming Association (AGA) projects that Americans will wager $3.1 billion on the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments, marking a notable increase from the $2.7 billion bet in 2024.
With 38 states and Washington, D.C. now offering legal sports betting, participation continues to grow, driven by expanding market accessibility and heightened consumer trust in regulated platforms following the Supreme Court’s 2018 landmark decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).
To better understand the factors behind this surge and how the AGA is promoting responsible betting during one of the most anticipated events on the sports calendar, Yogonet spoke with Dara Cohen, AGA’s Senior Director of Strategic Communications & Media Relations.
Increased accessibility and consumer confidence drive growth
Asked about the key factors fueling this year’s projected betting increase, Cohen pointed to the widening availability of legal wagering. As regulated options expand across the U.S., more fans than ever have the opportunity to bet legally and responsibly — and they seem to be making use of that opportunity.
“The continued expansion of legal sports betting, including new markets like North Carolina, has increased accessibility and consumer engagement,” Cohen said. “As more Americans embrace the legal, regulated market, trust and enjoyment in the betting experience continues to grow.”
She also highlighted the rising interest in women’s college basketball, suggesting that more bettors are engaging with the women’s tournament than in previous years.
While many initially showed concern that attendance and overall interest in women’s college basketball would drop this year with the departure of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and other stars for the WNBA, strong TV ratings and attendance prove women’s basketball is in a good place for the NCAA Tournament. This sustained interest is seemingly also reflected in wagering participation.
“We do continue to see an increase in women’s college basketball and look forward to seeing how that plays out this year,” Cohen added, highlighting it as one of the major trends for this year’s March Madness betting landscape.
AGA’s focus on legal betting data
In a major change for the association’s method of reporting, this year, the AGA’s forecast for March Madness mirrors the organization’s Super Bowl approach, which now exclusively estimates legal wagering while omitting projections for illegal and casual bets.
AGA estimated Americans would legally wager a record $1.39 billion on Super Bowl LIX back in February. While the figure paled in comparison to last year’s $23.1 billion given the change in approach, with years of regulated operations in several U.S. states, the AGA now believes its time to develop a legal-only wager estimate for major US sports betting moments.
“Our March Madness forecast also focuses solely on legal wagering,” Cohen confirmed. “The estimate is based on analyzing sports betting handle trends in legal jurisdictions throughout February and March months over the past few years.”
With legal betting continuing to gain support, the AGA’s 2024 American Attitudes Survey found that 75% of Americans favor legal wagering in their home states. Cohen believes this reflects growing public awareness of consumer protections and the economic benefits of the regulated market.
“As more states legalize sports betting, consumer trust continues to grow, and more individuals are confident in the vital consumer protections, availability of responsible gaming tools, and the positive impact legal wagering has on their communities,” she added.
Combating the black market and promoting safe gambling
Despite the expansion of legal betting, illegal operators remain a challenge, with sweepstakes wagering becoming a growing concern. Since these operations are largely untaxed and unregulated, they circumvent key regulatory safeguards, such as consumer protections, responsible gaming policies, and anti-money laundering measures.
The issue has already prompted states including New York, Maryland and New Jersey, among others, to discuss legislative action to ban sweepstakes gambling. The move is favored by the regulated industry, which contends these platforms present unfair competition to legal, state-regulated gambling offerings.
In conversation with Yogonet, Cohen highlighted AGA’s commitment to the fight against illegal operations and the promotion of regulated gambling. “We work closely with state and federal regulators to advocate for stronger enforcement against illegal operators,” she said. “Additionally, we continue to educate consumers on the risks of unregulated markets and the benefits of betting legally.”
Concurrently, with the rise in betting activity around major sporting events, the AGA has intensified efforts to promote responsible wagering. Its Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly. campaign is set to play a major role during the tournament, educating bettors on how to participate in a safe and conscious way.
Launched in late 2019, Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly. is a first-of-its-kind public service campaign to educate new and seasoned sports bettors about responsible sports wagering. The campaign convenes leagues, teams, media, sportsbooks, and other industry stakeholders to make sports betting education approachable for fans.
Through this initiative, the AGA has introduced a new principle: “Keep Your Cool”, aimed at preventing harassment of players, coaches, and officials based on betting outcomes. It joins the other major principles, which include setting a budget, playing legally, understanding the odds, and keeping betting social.
“This is entertainment, and it’s never okay to harass or criticize a player, coach, or official because of a bet,” Cohen stated, highlighting that food sportsmanship isn’t just for players on the field, but for everyone.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/03/21/98850-aga-34as-more-states-legalize-sports-betting-consumer-trust-continues-to-grow-34
