A recent report from the Pew Research Center found that 19 percent of adults in the U.S. acknowledged betting on sports during the past year. But it’s how they bet that stands out, according to the Associated Press. Some 15 percent bet with friends, in a private pool, a casual wager or a fantasy league.
Only 8 percent bet at a casino, racetrack or kiosk, and just 6 percent wagered online, which seems to be the overwhelming choice of bettors in other polls. More than 80 percent of legal sports bets go online, and in some cases it’s in the mid 90’s. The Pew survey did not ask if the online sites were legally regulated or not.
The survey’s results show plenty of opportunity for expansion even, if 62 percent of states already have legal sports betting.
The center surveyed 6,034 adults from July 5-17. Broken down by gender, 24 percent of respondents were male; 15 percent female. 22 percent were under 50 and 17 percent over 50.
Broken down by race, the Pew results found 27 percent of Black respondents bet on sports; 24 percent of the Hispanic respondents; 18 percent of whites and 10 percent of Asian-Americans.
As for educational level, 18 percent had college degrees, 20 percent did not. For income level, 22 percent identified in the upper income brackets; 19 percent fell in the middle and lower income status. The survey also found little significant difference between Democrat or Republican affiliation.
When asked whether sports wagers were good or bad for society, 57 percent said neither and 34 percent said bad, while 8 percent considered it good.
A similar question in relation to the impact on sports itself showed 49 percent were neutral, 33 percent saw it as bad, and 16 percent said it is good.
