Sports Gambling Industry

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There are opportunities for entrepreneurs as states begin allowing regulated sports betting.
How much is the sports gambling industry worth

The total value of the global sports betting market is difficult to estimate because of the lack of consistency in how it is regulated in some parts of the world. Betting makes up about 30 to 40.

  1. The growing number of sports followers across the globe has fueled the demand for sports betting. The majority of bets are placed on boxing, baseball, football, and hockey sports, which.
  2. In the gambling industry, can’t-miss propositions and cash handouts are time-tested ways to build market share quickly. Sports gaming executives acknowledge there is a fine line between.
  3. Growth in the legal sports betting industry was remarkable in 2020 despite COVID-19. By the end of the year, 19 states and the District of Columbia had launched live, legal sports gambling.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The legal sports-betting market in the U.S. was worth an estimated $270 million in 2017 -- with another $2.5 billion to $3 billion in black market betting, according to research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC. Accordingly, the recent Supreme Court decision in Murray v. NCAA that effectively lifts the federal ban on sports betting, allowing states to make their own laws and regulations, has captured the attention of businesses and entrepreneurs across the nation.

Current gambling operators are racing to take advantage of the potential windfall headed their way, but experts say it could be a long time before new ventures can benefit from this decision. That's because most of the existing state bills already circulating specifically limit the number of companies that can work directly with casinos or race tracks.

'This means companies with past experience in the gambling marketplace, ready-to-go infrastructure and strong brand reputations will almost certainly gain selection for these mega-contracts,' says Marc Edelman, a professor of law at Baruch College who consults extensively on sports and gaming law.

Related: The History of Online Gambling (Infographic)

Edelman notes that none of the state bills proposing to allow and regulate sports gambling propose a true free market solution. That means even startup entrepreneurs with creative business ideas won't be able to simply enter the marketplace, he says.

Until now, only Nevada has allowed betting on individual games, while Delaware, Oregon and Montana have allowed limited betting. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), enacted in 1992, exempted out those states. Now, however, all states will be allowed to pass their own laws related to sports betting, and there's also the potential Congress will attempt to enact new legislation that would govern all states equally.

As the court case has been working its way through the system the past few years, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have been preparing for the possibility of enacting new legislation post-PASPA. Sports Illustrated recently tracked the status of legislation in all 50 states, showing many are considering opening the door to sports betting.

Eilers & Krejcik Gaming has estimated that as many as 32 states will enact new legislation allowing sports betting within the next five years. It estimates the resulting market would be worth $6.03 billion in annual revenue -- $7.1 billion to $15.8 billion if all 50 states allowed regulated sports betting.

Related: Entrepreneurs and Gamblers Have Much in Common

Sports Betting Industry Size

You won't have to be one of the big gambling operators to take advantage of the new market, however. There are numerous opportunities for data analytics, content creation and more.

Tyler Wyatt, an independent handicapping expert who runs Three For The Money, is preparing for hundreds, if not thousands, of new companies to enter his space in the market.

'Gambling data and gambling news will initially become a commodity. Companies that can track the movements of both betting lines and the amounts of money wagered will have a product they can offer at a premium.'

Currently, Wyatt's site offers bettors the ability to submit a request about a particular game and receive back a detailed analysis with over 1,500 data sets and a projected outcome of the game. He says it's not something just anyone can jump into and make a name for themselves immediately.

Related: 11 Sports Businesses Using Entrepreneurial Skills to Disrupt the Marketplace

Sports Betting Industry Value

'I've purchased data that I didn't have, scoured the internet to find data I was missing, and spent countless sleepless nights to compile the data sets and put together the program that we have at Three For The Money.'

While those with deep pockets might be able to simply buy the data, Wyatt says the blue sky in the market is elsewhere.

Sports Betting Industry

'There will be niche segments of the sports wagering market that can be capitalized. Apps that provide up-to-date player data, betting line movements, trends and more all in one place will be valuable.'

If you're one of those entrepreneurs looking to take advantage of the new opportunities, Edelman warns that you be careful to manage your risks.

'There are no shortage of gaming lawyers who will tell you exactly what you want to hear,' he says.

Related: Elite Sports Teams Are Much Better at Creating Powerful Cultures Than Startups -- Here Are 5 Tips You Can Steal

'The best lawyers will push back on ideas and encourage [you] to refine them in such a way that you are able to maintain the core elements of your business plan but at the same time encourage changes to make sure to keep your risk level manageable.'

Edelman says you should choose counsel that is mindful of the developments in state law.

'The future of your sports-gambling or interactive fantasy sports business will be driven very much by your ability to operate within the framework of state laws, and many of these laws do not yet even exist.'

In other words, it's not only entrepreneurs who will be trying to cash in on the new marketplace, but attorneys and other business advisors as well.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa sports gambling market is rapidly expanding as the biggest game in sports is set for this coming weekend. Iowa Racing and Gaming Administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says all of the state’s casinos now have sports gambling operations — and many are adding on. “A number of the casinos that got into the game early with online sports wagering are starting to shop their second individually branded website,” Ohorilko explains.

He says it is a natural progression of the 18-month old industry. “Each casino can have three individually branded websites…they all have one and many of them are now entering into their second agreements,” he says. Ohorilko says other sports gambling businesses are now looking at Iowa as the requirement that you go to a casino to sign upended on January 1st. “This market has been inundated with new applications — companies that are wanting to enter the market,” Ohorilko says.

Ohorilko says sports gambling is a bright spot for the industry hit hard by the pandemic. “We’re seeing really good numbers right now and I think we’ll continue to see market growth in the next few months. We are not seeing obviously as related to the pandemic — we are not seeing any Superbowl parties. That’s something we are missing this year,” according to Ohorilko. He says the loss of those parties is part of an overall impact of the pandemic that has hit the general casino business this year. “Attendance is still off significantly from what it was last year at this time. Revenue is starting to fall a little bit,” Ohorilko says.

Ohorilko says attendance will not improve until people feel better about getting out and doing things in public. He does say that the casinos should have the benefit of operating this year in months where they were shut down last year by the pandemic restrictions.