Although the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York might be well-known for its outstanding choice of higher-education facilities and wine, sports is also a massive part of life in the area. Sports betting is also a growing sector in New York state after officials decided to sanction this activity in January 2022.
Since then, the sports betting market throughout much of New York has blossomed – in tandem with legal sports betting in many other states and countries. For example, Ontario in Canada legalized its own sports betting market in 2022, and now has platforms such as BetRivers Canada to give bettors there a safe, fun place to wager.
As you would imagine, some sports are more popular than others for people to bet on. But which see the most action in general?
Football
Sports in Finger Lakes come in many forms, but football is certainly one of the most popular. This sport is also the most common choice for bettors in the USA and accounts for half of the overall sports betting market in the country. Football is also a popular sport to bet on globally in other countries.
The NFL is naturally the league fans like to get involved with and many will bet on regular season games. As you might expect though, it is the Super Bowl which takes the major headlines. For the 2020 Super Bowl, it is thought that around 26 million people in the USA placed a bet on this game.
Basketball
Another very popular sport to bet on for those in the US and also people around the globe is basketball. The major league to get involved with here is the NBA and this competition has top franchises such as the LA Lakers to bet on.
The appetite for basketball wagering is closing in on football in terms of popularity and fast turning into a sport more people place bets on. In addition to the NBA, many sports bettors also like to place wagers on college ball. This results in literally billions being placed on bets when the annual ‘March Madness’ tournament is played.
Soccer
In terms of global sports betting, soccer is the industry leader and an option which has grown in the USA lately too. This has been due to the inroads the MLS has made into the public consciousness and teams such as New York City FC being available to bet on. On a global scale, soccer has billions of fans and tournaments such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup or the UEFA Champion’s League draw bettors in.
Popular sports to bet on are no surprise
As the above shows, some of the most popular sports people like to bet on are also the ones with the largest fanbases or highest levels of media attention. For sports bettors in New York state, the three sports we have looked at remain common choices and have lots of fun markets to explore. If you remember to choose a reputable sportsbook to bet with first, you will be well on the way to having a blast when wagering on games.
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