AGA Projects 47M Americans to Bet on NCAA Tournament

The American Gaming Association has announced its results of a recent survey regarding betting interest on the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. According to the survey, an estimated 47.4 million bettors are expected to place a bet, and that number is very close to the projections made in 2019.

While the number of bettors should be around the same from 2019, the total betting handle is likely to increase. There are now many more sports betting options in the US than were available before the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

One area that could decrease in 2021 is the number of adults expected to fill out a bracket. The AGA estimates that 36.7 million adults will participate in filling out a bracket, which is eight percent less than what was predicted two years ago.

This survey also indicated that 17.8 million adults are expected to place a bet online, an increase of more than 200% from 2019. Close to 31 million Americans will place a traditional bet, and that number was just $17.8 million for March Madness 2019.

There is also more interest in this year’s NCAA Tournament as 42% of those surveyed said they followed college basketball more closely this season. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancelation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament, so there will be increased interest for the event this year.

Survey Information

Morning Consult conducted this survey for the American Gaming Association between March 3-5. They surveyed more than 2,200 adults from across the country, with all of the questioning conducted online.

This group has announced that the survey results have a margin of error of two percentage points either way. The results of the recent survey were compared to another target sample of adults with an extensive range of different ages, gender, races, and region.

When looking at the results of this survey, a bettor is defined as an individual who is expected to place a bet online or through a local bookie.

Gonzaga Betting Favorite

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the clear betting favorites to win the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Gonzaga currently has odds set at +200 to cut down the nets, and they enter this tournament with an undefeated record.

The Baylor Bulldogs (+500), Illinois Fighting Illini (+600), and the Michigan Wolverines (+750) round out the top-four in terms of betting favorites, and these are the number 1 seeds in March Madness. There could be some upsets along the way, but the top four teams are pretty well defined heading into the NCAA Tournament.

About AGA

The American Gaming Association represents more than 1.8 million jobs in the casino industry in the United States. This group helped fight for these workers’ rights during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided guidance for casino properties throughout the country.

The AGA represents both commercial and tribal casino properties, and suppliers of these properties are a part of this group as well. They also work with state and federal governments to create laws to help govern the United States casino industry.