Dig In

The American Sports Fanship Survey conducted by Siena College Research Institute sheds some light on public sentiment of sports betting.

A new Siena survey* provides some interesting data on online betting behaviors in the US. As is so often the case, the highly trumpeted findings are largely uninteresting to me. Fortunately, unlike many other surveys, the complete survey results were made available, and the crosstabs have some fascinating findings.

Below, I’ll analyze some of the questions and answers I found interesting from the survey. First, I’ll look at the survey as a whole.

*The American Sports Fanship Survey was conducted by the Siena College Research Institute in collaboration with St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School of Communication. The survey polled 3,071 respondents in the US between January 2-7, 2024. 

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Big Takeaways

This is a newsworthy survey. But not because it had jaw-dropping findings.

It’s interesting because it highlights people’s contradictory views about sports betting (and gambling, for that matter).

There is a discordance when sports betting is framed positively and negatively. For instance, 48% of respondents think sports betting is a great form of entertainment, yet 65% think sports betting will create compulsive gamblers, and 79% think sports betting apps are a bad idea.

The above illustrates how people see themselves (only a third of respondents have shown regret for bets) and how they see the broader world as needing more protection.

Let’s dig into some of the individual findings.

Advertising Overload?

QUESTION #27: How often have you seen an advertisement for an online sportsbook, that is, an online sports betting service, including but not limited to DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel, BetMGM, and so on?

54% responded very (24%) or somewhat (30%) often. 18% of respondents said they never see advertisements.

My Takeaway: The numbers are probably lower than many people would expect. However, two things are at play here: First, people are pretty good at ignoring advertisements they’re not interested in. Second, online advertisements are targeted. If you are not interested in sports betting, you’re unlikely to see many ads.

Betting Apps and Accounts

QUESTION #28: Do you have an account with one of these online sportsbooks? This question followed the previous one, which named several operators.

19% answered yes, or about 1 in 5 people. I would point out that several operators were named, and that could have caused DFS users (past or present) to answer yes. Also, only 88% answered yes to having placed a bet (Question 35).

When asked how many accounts they have (Question 33), the results indicate most people have just one or two accounts:

• Just one: 37%

• 2: 35%

• 3: 21%

• 4 or more: 7%

My Takeaway: I would posit that far more people have accounts than bet, particularly if we consider lapsed bettors. At any given time, the number of active mobile bettors in the US is likely well below 10%.

I’d also add that the findings from Question #33 indicate that very few people are line-shopping, as nearly 3/4 of bettors use two or fewer apps, and more than 90% use three or fewer.

Results, Real and Imagined

QUESTION #37: (Of those with an account AND who have placed bets) Thinking about the bets you’ve made on online sportsbooks, would you say that you win more than you lose, lose more than you win, or that you usually break even?

File these responses under People don’t keep track of their wins and losses:

• Win more than lose 36%

• Lose more than win 30%

• Usually break even 33%

More responses in the self-delusion category: 80% of respondents answered yes to Question 46: “I think I can make money by placing bets.”