On a global scale, the sports gambling industry continues to thrive, and one of the biggest drivers within the sector is the United States. Since the country opened up to the practice in 2018, individual states began to legalize sports betting, and the market has grown steadily.
The US continues to produce significant growth, and, according to ongoing projections, there is no sign of a slowdown anytime soon. To customers and investors, the market is attractive, partly because it remains a relatively new concept.
The Existing Picture
Current statistics show that the sports betting industry in the United States produced $31.89 billion in revenue for May 2025 alone. That figure represents an increase of over 7% on the income delivered one year previously.
The figures from May 2025 are the most recent, and as the year develops, future projections suggest steady increases through 2026.
Sportsbook customers have a vast choice of markets, and that growing range of betting options is one of the reasons why the industry is so prolific. There are moneyline odds, team and player props, NFL spreads, futures, and much more. Innovation is another factor, with operators looking for new ways to increase their customer base. It’s a healthy position that has built rapidly in recent years.
Consistent Growth
One key reason for sustained growth is the steady rise in states legalizing online sports gambling. When the US Supreme Court overturned an earlier ruling in 2018, it allowed individual state governments to make their own decisions.
Some were very quick to open their digital doors. New Jersey and West Virginia were among those that allowed online sports betting in 2018. Others were slower to react, and there has been a steady stream of new adopters since 2019.
The landscape is starting to settle down: Most states have decided on whether to allow sports gambling, but talk remains over who will be next. There is current discussion around Hawaii, Texas, and Oklahoma, and each of those populous regions could offer a major boost to US sports betting revenue.
Operator Innovation
Sports betting operators in the US aren’t simply waiting for more states to join the market. Each will know they must keep innovating and progressing in such a competitive sector. One way to do this is to offer new markets for the betting community to consider.
Esports is a key example of the betting industry taking on new events. When the first tournaments began in the 2000s, professional video gaming wasn’t an obvious choice for global sportsbooks to adopt. Over the years, however, the growing attention around eSports fixtures meant they had to be taken more seriously.
MMA is another example of a sport emerging from the fringes to a point where it attracts global interest. Sportsbooks were quick to spot the potential of organizations such as the UFC, giving revenue another boost.
New betting options have also appeared. Certain operators have implemented a phenomenon known as ‘Bet Builder,’ which allows customers to stake multiple wagers on a single event for the first time.
These and other new introductions are essential across the industry. They not only make things convenient for players, but they also help with engagement and boost every operator’s customer base.
Future Projections
Projections for the next few years continue to remain upbeat. Across the global sector, there are signs that gambling revenue will continue to increase until 2030 at the very least. Similarly to the United States, there are some countries where legalization is an ongoing process.
In Canada, for example, online gambling was made legal in Ontario in 2022. Since then, other provincial governments have monitored the situation, and the industry north of the US border is experiencing unprecedented growth.
In nations where gambling is legal nationwide, the sector is growing organically. In the UK, for example, revenue has been constant for many years, and although recent changes to legislation could potentially lead to a slowdown, the overall trend is upward.
A range of surveys have been carried out, and the numbers differ slightly in terms of actual figures. Each study, however, predicts significant growth over the next five years. A typical average suggests that the US gambling market will increase by around 7% annually between 2025 and 2030.
While there is room for more US states to join the sports betting industry, it will continue to develop at a significant rate. If the country reaches saturation point, the markets may settle down, but there are reasons to stay positive. On a global scale, other countries continue to produce increased revenue, and the overall picture is promising.