The Rise of Legal Sports Betting in the U.S. is Going Strong.

Image Credit: Unsplash

Americans have wagered $220B on sports through legal gambling outlets in the five years since the US Supreme Court allowed all 50 states to offer it.

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Two-thirds of the country will offer legal sports betting, with additional states likely to join in the coming months or years.

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The fast-growing industry is far-reaching: its advertisements reach most U.S. homes during sporting events and even non-sports programming.

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Professional sports leagues now partner with gambling companies, and some even have betting outlets in their stadiums.

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The $220 billion figure includes wagers made through the end of March in most states, according to the American Gaming Association.

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Sportsbooks generally keep about 10% of all the money they handle, after paying out winning bets to customers.

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The amount of money kept by sportsbooks as wins over the last five years is $17 billion.

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Sports betting taxes on operators have generated almost $3.6 billion, but many states' take amounts to a drop in the bucket.

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