Focus at Four: Sports betting to break $35 billion this football season

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Tonight the first week of the NFL season concludes with the Jets and 49ers, and sports betting is bigger than ever this season.

The American Gaming Association reports Americans will bet a record $35 billion on legal sportsbooks this season.

Professor Andrew Baerg from the University of Houston – Victoria said people who gamble are interested in not only the numbers, but the legalization of sports betting.

“I think gambling has already always been a part of sports on some level, but with the broader legalization of gambling over the last, five to seven years. Across other states, there’s been this massive wave of interest from people who maybe otherwise wouldn’t be interested in gambling,” he said.

The NFL has even started running ads about responsible sports betting during games, which Baerg said is most likely a legal angle.

“It’s good public relations too. It’s a way for them to say, ‘Hey, look, we care about our fans, we don’t want them to get in trouble with becoming addicted to gambling regardless of whether it might happen or not. But we’re interested in our fans. We wanted to keep their best interest at heart.’”

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