Here
are some facts regarding how much gambling is actually going on in the
United States.
- 7 of 10 U.S. adults placed some sort of wager in the last year.
- According to the NCAA, 35% of male college students bet on sports.
- $600 billion changed hands last year worldwide as a result of gambling.
- The online gambling industry generated $12 billion in revenue in 2005.
- Online sports betting is estimated to be 5 times bigger than Las Vegas sports betting. Illegal sports betting (barroom bookies) is estimated to be 35 times bigger than Nevada.
- Over 20 gambling companies are listed on non-U.S. stock exchanges. The biggest poker company has a market value of almost $9 billion. The biggest sports betting company has a market value of almost $3 billion.
- The biggest sportsbooks employee over 2,000 people during football season.
- The MGM-Mirage has publicly lobbied to allow U.S. companies to take part in online gambling.
- Gambling is entering mainstream corporate America: Liberty Media (owner of the QVC and Encore TV networks) is finalizing the purchase of Fun Technologies, which owns a majority interest in the Don Best sports information company.
