Sports betting fuels US gambling's record-breaking growth. Here are the numbers behind it

DOMINICK REUTER // Getty Images Everything changed for the business of sports betting in 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal law prohibiting the activity in most states. In the five years since, legalized gambling has become one of the fastest-growing sectors of the mammoth, multi-billion dollar sports industry. According to PBS, Americans have placed more than $220 billion worth of sports wagers in total (or nearly $45 billion per year) over that span–and their betting pace shows few (if any) signs of slowing down. It’s a milestone moment for a pastime that is exploding in popularity, as well as a period of rapid change and evolving technology across the sports betting world. Through the 2020s, it is estimated that the sports betting market will have an average annual growth rate of more than 10% year-over-year, reaching an eye-popping total value of $167.66 billion per year by 2029. To help make sense of the latest developments, ATS.io analyzed trends in the sports and gaming betting industry from a collection of news and expert sources. Using their data, here are seven major takeaways about the current state of sports betting in the U.S. A growing gaming industry Ethan Miller // Getty Images The popularity of sports betting varies a lot by state–some have been in the game for a long time, while others are still catching up after arriving late to the party. According to the American Gaming Association, as of March 2023, the 10 states with the highest gross gaming revenue (or GGR) are Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Maryland. It’s not particularly surprising to see the home of Las Vegas rank #1–Nevada brings in more than 2.5 times the GGR of any other state. US casinos