Since the time the regulations in the US changed in 2018, the world of sports betting also changed. As the Supreme Court legalized betting, many state governments also legalized it in their respective states. The gambling laws paved the way for a surge in the number of games and the amount of money that was being bet-on by fans in the country. As per the American Gaming Association, the sports betting market had a revenue of $4.33 billion in 2021. With the increasing amount of popularity of sports betting in the country, the numbers are speculated to rise even further. Although the following list does not surprise people, the amount of money that is wagered in these games is definitely a big surprise.
Let’s check out the names of the sports events and tournaments where the highest amount of money was ever wagered throughout the years.
1. March Madness
During the March Madness tournament, 67 games are played by teams within a period of 3 weeks. This is one of the most heavily wagered tournaments that has ever been recorded. It is the annual men’s basketball tournament that is played by college students and enjoyed by fans across the country. The overall estimation of the association on the 2022 games was $3.1 billion. As per the numbers collected, the casinos in Illinois alone collected $300 million revenue during this league. In Nevada, $700 million was collected in that particular month. The game actually increased the overall revenues by 50%.
2. Kentucky Derby
Since 1875, the Kentucky Derby remains one of the most prestigious horse racing events in the country. Although each year, a number of people bet at the horses but in 2022, a new record was made. There were about 150,000 fans who witnessed the winning of an underdog Rich Strike. Sources revealed that $179 million was collected by the Derby on that day. Any individual who would have bet on the Rich Strike that day, must have won 80 times the money that they wagered.
3. The Grand National
When it comes to horse racing, The Grand National is definitely the second best tournament to participate in. Since 1839, this event has been held in Liverpool, England each year. The Kentucky Derby has a track race which is typical and very traditional. On the other hand, The Grand National includes fences and ditches as well. The hunt race expects the horses to encounter all the problems on the track before they reach the finish line. In 2021, the wagering brought everyone a big surprise with 100 million pounds being bet by the fans. It set a major record. The bookers had never seen such a big amount wagered ever before.
4. Super Bowl
In the United States, the Super Bowl is undoubtedly one of the biggest sports events in terms of viewership. It is the National Football League that has maintained a reputation for the maximum number of bets being included in it. In 2022, the channels reported that there were about 110 million people who watched this champions league. Since 1967, the Super Bowl has remained one of the biggest events that the US has ever seen. A total of $180 million was bet-on by fans in Nevada in 2022. On the national level, the number of bets were recorded to be estimated at $7.61 million. This definitely one of the biggest moments for the Super Bowl.
5. FIFA World Cup
Apart from the Olympics, the biggest international sports event is undoubtedly the FIFA World Cup. Since 1930, the tournament has been played every 4 years. There are 32 teams who qualify and play the game for championship in the game of soccer or football. The FIFA World Cup is typically the end goal for the majority of the footballers across the globe. In 2018, 2 billion euros was bet-on by football fans and over 1.1 billion people saw the world cup. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the tournament saw a massive increase in the number of bets.
Dear Reader,
Over the past four years, EastMojo revolutionised the coverage of Northeast India through our sharp, impactful, and unbiased coverage. And we are not saying this: you, our readers, say so about us. Thanks to you, we have become Northeast India’s largest, independent, multimedia digital news platform.
Now, we need your help to sustain what you started.
We are fiercely protective of our ‘independent’ status and would like to remain so: it helps us provide quality journalism free from biases and agendas. From travelling to the remotest regions to cover various issues to paying local reporters honest wages to encourage them, we spend our money on where it matters.
Now, we seek your support in remaining truly independent, unbiased, and objective. We want to show the world that it is possible to cover issues that matter to the people without asking for corporate and/or government support. We can do it without them; we cannot do it without you.
Support independent journalism, subscribe to EastMojo.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
Along with the aforementioned sports tournaments, there are several other major championships that are held in different sports categories each year. The American and the European countries have seen a lot of betting activities in different sportsbooks and platforms. The whole idea is to enjoy the games more by adding some more stakes in the game. The excitement and enthusiasm of the fans gets even higher when they feel they have made their contribution towards their favourite teams as well. The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is one such event where several high amount bets are also made by the fans. Given the fact that the popularity of cricket is not very high in America and Europe, the number of stakes might be limited.
Also Read | Top Engaging Virtual Activities for Remote Workers in India
Trending Stories
- Internet ban in Manipur again? Check details here
- Nagaland: Church condemns PM’s call for cleanliness drive on Sunday
- Ukhrul: Journalists boycott 24 AR over ‘harassment’ of reporter
- Mizoram: Serchhip district celebrates silver jubilee amid HIV, drug abuse concerns
- Tripura HC dismisses one of ‘10,323’ teachers’ plea, fines petitioner
- Here’s how Indian students can apply for admission at an Australian university
