AGA sees illegal sports betting of $93b this season

The American Gaming Association estimates that sports fans will place illegal bets of about $93 billion on the upcoming NFL season and college football games, with only $2 billion bet legally through sports books in Nevada.

On last season’s Super Bowl alone, Americans made $3.8 billion worth of illicit bets – an amount 38 times greater than the total bet legally, it said.

“Illegal sports betting is reaching new heights of popularity in America,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the AGA. “It’s clear that a federal ban on traditional sports betting outside of Nevada is failing.”

The AGA formed an Illegal Gambling Advisory Board in June as part of an initiative to clearly differentiate the illegal gambling industry from the regulated $240 billion legal gaming industry.