The Top Five Most Popular Sports to Bet On in the United States

With the increasing popularity of online sports betting and sports fans seeking entertainment, more people are turning to sports betting across the United States.

 

Today, Online betting is enjoying so much popularity that it cuts across the different demographics and sports leagues in America.

 

Since the Supreme Court ruling on the Professional Sports and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which ultimately gave states the power to legislate and regulate online betting, more than 30 states have legalized online sports betting.

 

Since the ruling, there has been an increase in the number of Sportsbooks offering online betting services to Americans across different states where online betting is legal.

 

And in a bid to attract prospective customers to their platforms, the operators design a variety of offers and freebies for both new and existing customers in the form of betting bonuses and other promotions.

 

The love for sports, the search for some adrenaline-pumping entertainment along with the availability of new player sportsbook bonuses in states where sports betting is legal have played key roles in the growth of online sports betting.

 

Beyond the prospect of winning cash from wagers, there is the lure of taking advantage of new customer sign-up bonuses offered by these sportsbooks after players make a deposit, and there is a groundswell of sportsbook deposit bonuses for Americans to choose from.

 

Individually, Americans love their sports, and there is no shortage of sports teams competing in the different sports leagues across the American landscape.

 

Most sports fans adopt and support their local teams competing for honors in leagues such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, and many others.

 

Going by data available, the National Football League, (NFL) is the most popular sports Americans prefer to wager on. The National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), College Football, and Soccer are the top five sports Americans love to bet on.

 

1. National Football League (NFL)

 

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American Football League that consists of 32 franchises.

 

It is easily one of the most popular sports in the United States and it is not hard to see why Americans love to bet on it the most.

 

Over the course of a regular season which spans early September through to early January, there are 272 games. Sportsbooks feature these matches with various betting options for Punters.

 

The matches of the regular season and playoffs culminate in the Super Bowl which is the most wagered-on single event in the whole of the United States.

 

According to data obtained by CRG Global for Variety Intelligence in 2022, a staggering 81% of bettors placed NFL bets.

 

And most sportsbooks that offer various betting bonuses estimate that  NFL wagers account for around 75% of their yearly handle.

 

2. National Basketball League (NBA)

 

Coming in second is the National Basketball Association with 54% of bettors placing wagers on NBA games.

 

The NBA is the most prestigious and glamorous Basketball league in the world, and it is no surprise that Americans love to wager on the sport.

 

The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the US and 1 in Canada).

 

The regular season of the NBA takes place between October and April, with each team playing 82 games, followed by the Playoffs which extends into June.

 

3. Major League Baseball (MLB)

 

The MLB holds the honor of being the oldest Professional Sports League in the world.

 

The league comprises 30 teams with each playing 162 games per season, meaning that there are 2,430 games every season.

 

With that amount of games per season, there are loads of games and options to wager on.

 

The World Series is also one of the most wagered-on single events in the United States.

 

4. College Football (NCAA)

 

Football is generally big in the US and it is widely followed by most American sports fans.

 

This is no different from Football played at the College level.

 

As a matter of fact, going by the data from the Variety Intelligence Platform, only the NCAA’s March Madness competition is anywhere close to the attractiveness of the NFL for sports bettors.

 

5. Soccer

 

Soccer comes in number to complete our top five list of sports Americans love to wager on.

 

The sport is growing in the United States and more punters are betting on Soccer because of the plenty of matches and options to wager on.

 

There are games across the Major League Soccer in the United States as well as matches in different top leagues especially in Europe.