Adam Bjorn explains what is driving greater interest in global sports gambling

Over the past couple of years, sports gambling has become a topic that is talked about on a daily basis around the world. Europe has had a substantial sports betting market for decades, but it wasn’t until 2018 that it became a subject of dedicated interest in the US. Assumed to be an industry worth more than $150 billion a year, the US sports gambling market was an untapped resource that was finally made accessible in 2018. Since then, there has been a global explosion of interest and there doesn’t appear to be anything that will slow it down. Adam Bjorn, a gaming industry executive and sports gambling expert, shares an insider’s view into what is driving this growth.

There are a number of reasons why sports gambling is attractive, whether it’s the individual or a government. For people, there is the idea of being able to win money, often at a great rate of return over the investment when the right choices are made. These choices, unlike gambling on a slot machine, for example, are based on data and skills, and the results are not left to chance. While it may not be the standard, nor should it be expected most of the time, it is possible to wager $50 and end up with a $200,000 payday on the right parlay bet.

There is also a certain entertainment value in sports gambling for individuals. It gives them something to do, a hobby, of sorts, that requires a great deal of analytical skill and the ability to interpret a large array of statistics to make the smartest choices. Sports have always been one of the most popular activities, and combining them with wagers, also a long-time popular activity, provides a great amount of fun and excitement.

“As regulatory gaming expands at a rapid pace across the globe, and the open discussion of gaming and in particular sports-betting no longer being a taboo subject in a number of the larger sports-betting markets in the world,” explains Bjorn, “the amount of betting options, technology advancements and the ease of doing business for the consumer is growing at a ‘regulated’ rate like never before. As many Sporting leagues are accepting Sports-betting with open arms and with an eye on potentially additional revenue, they too are becoming a driving force behind the expansion of sports betting. 5G and technology advancements are driving the expansion of bet types, in particular those that can bring instant gratification.”

For as long as sports have been popular, there have been those who would spare no expense to see the outcome go the way they want. Sports integrity is a part of athletics that has also been around, but which is now getting renewed attention with the increased interest shown for sports gambling.

New regulatory bodies are being created to provider greater oversight of contests to ensure match-fixing is not seen, and penalties for violating the rules can be substantial, including seven-figure fines and lifetime bans. The increased emphasis given to sports integrity is driving greater consumer confidence and leading to more sports gambling interest.

Along the same thread as sports integrity, sports gambling operators are being scrutinized more closely, as well. These are regulated strictly by gambling laws and regulatory bodies, who never delay in handing down fines for violations. A number of gambling operators have been forced to shut down because they broke the rules, and this intense scrutiny helps give sports gamblers the ability to know that they are protected when placing their wagers.

Despite being younger than its European counterpart, the US sports gambling market is growing quickly. Only around 20 of the states in the country currently offer some type of sports gambling, and this number is expected to reach close to 40 in no more than two years. This increase is giving way to a larger potential market, which, in turn, means greater competition. As a result, sports gambling operators are becoming more creative with their solutions in an almost constant battle to attract more gamblers. They are always innovating and always exploring how to raise the bar on sports gambling excitement, and this commitment is helping them attract an entirely new user group that will fuel the explosion for decades to come.