When the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) back in 2018, it paved the way for states to individually legalize sports betting. Ever since then, the industry at large has remained on a meteoric rise, raking in billions upon billions of dollars, serving millions upon millions of customers, and even spawning the age of prediction markets.
This is not just a matter of dollars and cents either, though that’s certainly the most critical metric. Everything remotely related to sports betting in the United States is on the come-up.
More media properties are partnering with sportsbook brands. Sports betting sites have purchased regional sports networks. Advertisements are everywhere. Athletes have stakes in sportsbooks and prediction market companies. Internet searches for phrases such as “how to bet the moneyline” or “best sportsbooks in the United States according to MyTopSportsbooks.”
Whether you’re an avid bettor, occasional gambler or someone who steers clear of it entirely, you seemingly can’t go anywhere without seeing a reference to sports betting or hearing someone talking about it.
This naturally raises the question: What gives?
The answer contains multitudes. But two factors have driven the United State’s infatuation with sports betting more than anything.
Access is No Longer a Barrier for Entry
When PASPA first went by the wayside in 2018, we saw a handful of states rush to legalize sports betting in-person and online. At the time, though, the green light was not ubiquitous. Plenty of states held out.
Gradually, then quickly, most of the country legalized some form of sports betting. As we get ready to close the 2026 calendar year, 39 of 50 states, as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, offer legal sports betting in some form.
That alone accounts for the prevalence. And yet, the mobile sports betting boom has taken this access to a whole other level.
People can sign-up for sports betting accounts and place wagers from anywhere, on any device. By and large, they can do it in a matter of minutes, from start to finish. The ease with which bets can be placed coupled with the onslaught of advertising and brand recognition has made the industry ubiquitous. Many customers might enjoy it, but sheer exposure to sports betting services has made it almost a rite of passage.
Think about all the barriers that have been stripped down. Bettors no longer have to physically travel to a casino or sportsbook to place their wager. They can do it with a few taps from their phone.
According to data provided by Stat News, nine in 10 legal sports bets from USA citizens are now processed through a mobile device. That number is bananas. And in certain sections of the country, it is actually higher. For better or worse, there is no rivaling this degree of accessibility.
States Want to Increase Their Tax Revenue and Subsequent Budgets
There is a symbiotic relationship between this factor and the near-universal access of sports betting. The more people have access to sportsbooks, the more money states stand to make; the more money states stand to make, the more inclined they are to allow sports betting properties to operate aggressively.
Consider this list of the 10 states with the most sports betting revenue from the previous fiscal year of 2025, as provided by the folks over at Smart Asset:
- New York: $912.9 million
- Pennsylvania: $187.9 million
- Illinois: $178.1 million
- Ohio: $143.9 million
- New Jersey: $133.6 million
- Massachusetts: $121.3 million
- Maryland: $117.3 million
- Tennessee $87.6 million
- Virginia: $83.2 million
- Nevada: $68.6 million
Nevada used to be one of the few legal sports betting hubs in the country. Now, it ranks 10th in tax revenue.
More importantly, these numbers are gargantuan even as you travel further down the list. States are not in the business of turning down an extra $60-plus million, let alone turning $100 million or, in New York’s case, basically $1 billion.
States were particularly keen on padding their tax revenue and budgets in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Legalizing sports betting during and shortly after the fallout was quite popular. It was a way of replenishing depleted funds.
Rest assured, this money doesn’t come without consequences. Study after study has shown sports betting can become highly addictive when not done responsibly. While states aren’t necessarily inclined to look the other way, they are clearly willing to accept the trade-off. The financial stakes are too high.
Officials and stakeholders will rationalize by noting that illegal gambling would be running amok if it weren’t legal. They’re not wrong.
At the same time, it would still take an extra effort to bet on sports when having to go through an offshore gambling site or blackmarket bookie. Though legalization has come with regulation, it has also, as we noted at the top, broadened the reach of the industry itself.
Whether this is an acceptable outcome lies in the eye of the beholder. Sports betting is as subjective as it is polarizing. But the factors driving its rising popularity—accessibility and tax revenue—are not opinions. They’re matters of fact.
