Over the past seven years, the U.S. sports betting industry has exploded, drawing millions of Americans to online betting platforms. In 2024 alone, 26.5 million people wagered a staggering $15.6 billion online, an average of $590 per bettor, and this figure is expected to grow by 20% to $18.5 billion this year. Most of this jaw-dropping figure went to just one sport and league.
According to data presented by Betideas.com, football leads in U.S. sports betting, accounting for 51% of all sports wagers in 2024.
Americans Bet on the NFL Twice as Often as the NBA
Before May 2018, Nevada was the only state where Americans could legally place sports bets. However, that changed when the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), sparking a surge in sports betting across the United States. Today, millions of U.S. sports fans put their money on wagers, hoping to predict the outcome of their favorite games.
According to a Statista Market Insight survey, the number of Americans placing sports bets has tripled in just five years, reaching 26.5 million in 2024. Football was the most popular sport among them, with 51% wagering on NFL games, far more than on any other sport.
In comparison, 38% of bettors in the United States named basketball as their number one sport, or 13% less than football. Baseball was far below these figures, with only a 25% share among respondents, the same as soccer, despite being a far more popular sport in the United States.
Statistics show around 18% of bettors wager on boxing, while tennis and ice hockey sit at the bottom of the rankings, with an 11% share among respondents, each. Â The survey also explored public sentiment toward sports betting. Nearly 30% of respondents believe sports betting is as addictive as alcohol, drugs, or tobacco, while 14% even said they were in favor of a ban. However, around 25% see sports betting as fun and a way to make watching professional sports more interesting.
Football Betting to Hit $5.4 Billion in 2025, Nearly $1 Billion More Than Last Year
Besides topping the number of fans and sports bettors, football bets also bring the highest sports betting revenue in the United States. According to a Statista Market Insights survey, U.S. sports fans are expected to wager $5.4 billion on NFL games in 2025, nearly $1 billion more than last year. This figure is even more impressive when compared to wagers placed on other sports.
Basketball bets are projected to generate $2.4 billion in revenue this year, less than half of football’s total. Boxing/MMA, soccer, baseball, and esports lag even further behind, with $1.6 billion, $1.5 billion, $1.1 billion, and $1 billion, respectively.  Overall, the U.S. sports betting market is set to generate $18.5 billion in revenue this year, a figure expected to jump to over $15 billion by the end of a decade.