The American Gaming Association (AGA) predicts Americans will legally wager $3.1 billion on the 2025 March Madness men's and women's college basketball tournaments, marking a significant increase from $2.4 billion in 2024.

This estimate substantially exceeds the predicted $1.3 billion Super Bowl LIX betting handle, largely due to the tournaments' multiple games spanning an entire month compared to the NFL's single championship game.

According to AGA SVP Joe Maloney, the expansion of legal sports betting across the U.S. has created more opportunities for fans to participate responsibly. Currently, 39 states and Washington, D.C. offer some form of legalized sports betting, with 75% of Americans supporting legal sports wagering in their state.

State-Specific Betting Restrictions:

• No restrictions: Arkansas, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Wyoming
• No betting on in-state schools: Delaware, Maine, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Wisconsin
• Tournament exceptions: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont (allow betting on in-state schools during tournaments)
• Player prop restrictions: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, West Virginia
• Complete college sports restrictions: Oregon (no online college sports betting)

Additional state-specific rules:

• Florida: Prohibits college player props
• Illinois: No betting on in-state colleges
• New York: No betting on events with in-state schools
• Virginia: No betting on Virginia school events
• Washington: No betting on in-state schools
• Washington, D.C.: No betting on in-district schools

Public sentiment remains positive, with 90% of Americans viewing sports betting as an acceptable form of entertainment.

Related Articles

Previous Articles