So, just how many people are betting on sports in legal markets?
We know how much money people are betting; it’s a lot of betting in states like New Jersey. But we don’t know much about how many people are betting.
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One company that is in a position to see and now that is GeoComply, which provides geolocation services for many legal online sportsbooks in the US. As such, GeoComply tracks every session that takes place with the sportsbook apps that partner with GeoComply.
CEO David Briggs talked briefly with Legal Sports Report to help clarify how many people are betting in some of the states that have legal online betting in the US. (GeoComply just announced the launch of IDComply, a know-your-customer solution that dovetails with its existing geolocation compliance product.)
GeoComply could not divulge exact numbers but could give us a sense of how many people are betting in new jurisdictions on a comparative basis.
How many are people betting?
Legal Sports Report: There has been a lot of speculation as to the growth that the interactive sports betting market would see in the first month of NFL. What have you seen?
Briggs: Well, I think the hype seems to be warranted. In New Jersey alone, we are seeing a year-over-year increase in mobile sports betting sessions of more than 100%.
Mobile Sports Betting Trends
Mobile sports betting is growing across the United States. States like Michigan and Colorado see more people using mobile betting because it’s convenient. Many bettors prefer quick access via their smartphones. With user-friendly interfaces, these apps make placing bets easy. Enhanced features like live streaming and real-time stats add to the appeal. As technology evolves, mobile betting platforms will likely continue to gain traction.
Pennsylvania is quickly ramping up after launch this summer. On a recent Sunday with NFL games (Oct. 6), Pennsylvania hit almost half of New Jersey’s volume for mobile sports betting. It will be interesting to see how the numbers stack up in the next few weeks.
LSR: What about the other states?
Briggs: As per the chart below, on Sunday, Oct. 6, the split between the four states was: New Jersey at 58.9%, Pennsylvania at 31.4%, Indiana at 7% and West Virginia at 2.8%. (In other words, almost three-fifths of online betting sessions outside of Nevada took place in NJ.)
Regulatory Changes and Impact
Changes in regulations have reshaped the betting landscape. For instance, states like New York have expanded legal sports betting in recent years. This shift has boosted local economies and increased tax revenues. It has also attracted a larger pool of bettors, making the market more mixed.
The iPhone issue for betting?
LSR: How has the lack of iPhone apps for sports betting hurt the Pennsylvania operators who are not able to offer native apps there?
Briggs: To be honest, there has been an impact, but not too much. Most states have around 70% of users on iPhones. However, in Pennsylvania, it is trending a couple of percent below that which is not too bad. As per the chart below, you can see the split by device in each environment on that Sunday. (Green is iOS devices, blue is Android devices and purple is the plug-in for desktops.)
User Demographics
The typical sports betting app user profile is quite varied. Most users are aged 21 to 40, with a growing interest among women. Many live in urban areas where betting options are plentiful. Understanding these demographics helps operators tailor their offerings to meet user needs and preferences.
