The first week of the NFL regular season is complete, and according to a report released by GeoComply, the games brought in 103.1 million location-verified bets, the highest number on record and an increase of over 70 season from last year’s opener.
GeoComply is a Canadian-based firm that provides fraud protection and security services by verifying the location and “digital identity” of bettors, to ensure they are not placing bets in unauthorized markets.
Anna Sainsbury, GeoComply CEO, said in a statement, “The growth of legal betting suggests that Americans are ditching offshore sportsbooks for regulated options in their home states. This is exactly the outcome legislators and regulators looked to achieve through legalization as they now protect consumers and increase tax revenues.”
With regards to individual markets, the East Coast reigned supreme—New York came in first with 15.3 percent of verified transactions, followed by Pennsylvania with 14.8 percent and New Jersey with 13.1 percent.
The overall increase was due in large part to the addition of five new betting markets since the beginning of last season, those being Kansas, Louisiana, New York, Arkansas and Connecticut.
The two states with the highest increases were Illinois and Pennsylvania. Illinois’ number of geolocation checks increased 5 million to 8 million, thanks to legislation that allowed for mobile registration. Pennsylvania registered an increase of just under 30 percent, jumping from 11.8 million to 15.3 million this year.
Sainsbury added: “GeoComply has worked hand in glove with our customers over the offseason to ensure a seamless and, most importantly, safe start to the NFL season. Whether it’s confirming location, verifying identities or detecting and thwarting possible fraud, our technology solutions are leading the way to support the regulated online gaming environment.”
