AGA shows Americans´ Tokyo Olympics betting plans

Since the last Olympic Games in 2018, when legal sports betting was only available in Nevada, sports betting is now legal and live in 21 states and Washington, D.C., giving more than 100 million Americans access to the legal market. Regulations on Olympic wagering vary by state.

Key Findings
20.1 million American Adults (8%) plan to wager on the Tokyo Olympics.
54% of American adults say they’re interested in the Tokyo Olympics.
25% of those of American adults that are very interested in the Tokyo Olympics plan to wager on an event.

Of the events Americans plan to wager on, basketball and soccer are most popular, while traditional Olympic sports will also see heavy interest.

Among those planning to bet:
45% will bet on basketball
34% will bet on soccer
28% will bet on gymnastics
27% will bet on track and field
27% will bet on swimming

Bettors plan to place wagers in a variety of ways, with casual bets with friends and online sports wagers being the most popular.

Of those betting on Tokyo games:
47% will bet casually with friends
43% will place a bet online
16% will place a bet at physical sportsbook
13% will place a bet with a bookie
Demonstrating Americans’ strong desire for legal betting options, 10 percent of Americans who do not plan to place a bet on this summer’s games said they would be more likely to wager if it was legal to place an Olympic bet in their state.

Methodology
This poll was conducted on behalf of the American Gaming Association by Morning Consult between July 9-12, 2021 among a sample of 2,200 adults. The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on gender, educational attainment, age, race, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/- 2%.