Football Prepping to Dominate US Sports Betting Scene Like Never Before

The wait is almost over for US sportsbooks that have struggled through the typical legal sports betting lull that happens during the summer months. Football season is just around the corner and both the NFL and NCAA are prepping to dominate the US legal sports betting scene like never before.

The US industry finds itself in the midst of a popularity explosion. New markets are opening up, new sportsbooks are being created and as a result, new bettors are being generated every day. It has created a sense of optimism among analysts and industry experts that the 2021-2022 football season will help sports betting jurisdictions smash previous records.

"The expansion of sports betting over the last year has been relentless, with far more legal markets and more operators than ever before," said Eric Ramsey, data analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network.

What PlayUSA Is Predicting

PlayUSA, the body that track betting activity in the broad US legal sports betting scene is out with some predictions about just how important football is to sportsbooks in America.

PlayUSA expects up to $20 billion to be bet on football this season, which is an almost unfathomable increase from the estimated $7.5 billion in wagers on pigskin in 2020. Tripling the betting dollars shows just how far sports betting has come in a year and just how healthy the industry is.

Revenues from that $20 billion are expected to be around $1.5 billion in 2021, according to PlayUSA. That means that there is a healthy tax contribution coming for states that have their own legal sports betting platform.

It is expected that $12 billion in bets will come from the NFL and another $8 billion being wagered on college football. Revenues from NFL betting are expected to be in the $800 million range while profits from college football wagers are expected to come in around $550 million, according to PlayUSA.

New states, New National Records?

Since the Super Bowl in February, there has been a rush for new markets to launch their own legal sports betting platforms. Prospective states took note of the revenues and ultimate tax contributions that platforms in Heavyweight jurisdictions like New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Illinois have reported.

Two markets that have been frequent recent members of the Top-7 Bet-Friendly State Club, Michigan and Virginia will be taking their first mobile pro and college football bets this upcoming season and they are expected to contribute greatly to the overall National handle. Both states' platforms have had success without football - adding pigskin is expected to spike their monthly takes.

There is a slew of new markets that are scheduled to launch on or slightly before September 9 and the start of the NFL season. Among them are Arizona, Connecticut, Washington State, Louisiana and Florida, which would be by far the largest market in the country if lawmakers can get their ducks in a row.

"Propelled by the launch earlier this year of legal sports betting in relatively large states like Michigan and Virginia, in addition to states such as Arizona that are expected to launch near the beginning of the NFL season, the U.S. market has grown significantly since the beginning of the 2020 football season," said Dustin Gouker lead analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network. "The U.S. sports betting market looks entirely different than it did just one year ago. There is no question that it will be a historic football season unlike any we've seen before."

New Sportsbooks Ready to Take Your Money

Along with the new sports betting markets that have propped up since the last time we saw football action is a few high-end, much-anticipated sportsbooks. Perhaps the biggest taking football bets for the first time is Caesars, which took over William Hill's immense US footprint this past spring.

They immediately gained a presence in eight states where William Hill had books including Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Caesars has also gained naming right to one of the NFL's and College Football's most iconic stadiums, the Louisiana Superdome, and just this week became title sponsor of one of College Football's biggest Bowl games, the Fiesta Bowl.

The much-hyped Barstool Sportsbook brand is also new since the last time there was any NFL or College Football action. Their rapid expansion includes a strong presence in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia and as of last week, New Jersey. An Arizona launch is on the horizon for Barstool and their sportsbook has been in the conversation for other states aiming for a September 9 launch.

Sports Illustrated has signalled their desire to get in the sports betting game as well and hopes to have its SI Sportsbook taking bets this football season.

2021 Will Be Much Different Than 2020

College Football was particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 crisis which cancelled games and forced players to perform in empty stadiums, void of the rabid fanbase that makes NCAA athletics so much fun. 2021 will be different.

Not only will there be fans in the stands at NFL and college football games, but the intense hype also surrounding each game will return. Sportsbooks hope that tailgating leads to some betting activity.

Some NFL home venues are even opening their own sportsbooks this upcoming season.

The mainstreaming of legal sports betting will bring with it a sportsbook presence that will likely touch every fan of the game. Those in attendance will see sportsbook branded signs around the venues and on scoreboards and those watching on TV won't be able to avoid sportsbook advertising.

So, worry not US legal sports betting industry - a cash bonanza awaits and is just over a month away. Football is life - at least for US sportsbooks.