Of the US$ 10.4 billion that will be wagered on the tournament in 2017, only about
US$ 295 million – or 3 % – will be wagered legally through Nevada sports books.
The remaining US$ 10.1 billion will be spent on illegal offshore websites or
through bookies. Americans annually bet at least US$ 150 billion a year on
sports illegally due to the antiquated 1992 federal prohibition on sports
betting largely outside of Nevada.
"The federal ban on sports betting is an utter failure – depriving states of
vital tax revenues and preventing millions of fans from wagering legally on
games,” said Geoff Freeman, AGA president and CEO.
"It’s time for Washington to get out of the way and enable states to reap the
rewards of a regulated sports betting Marketplace,” added Freeman.
