$3.3 Billion on March Madness. The Fed Wants to Talk About What Happens Next.

NY Fed sports betting study infographic. Credit delinquencies among bettors up 10%. March Madness 2026 handle $3.3 billion. Bankruptcy risk up 10% in online betting states. Debt collections up 8%. Credit scores down 0.8 points. 70% of sportsbook profits from less than 1% of users. Sharpest declines among people under 40.

$3.3 Billion on March Madness. The Fed Wants to Talk About What Happens Next. Americans legally wagered an estimated $3.3 billion on the 2026 NCAA Tournament, according to the American Gaming Association. That figure is up more than 50% over the past three years. Michigan’s championship run, UConn’s miracle comeback against Duke, and three weeks … Read more

Super Bowl LX Record Handle: $1.76 Billion Wagered, Sportsbooks Win Big

Super Bowl LX betting infographic showing record $1.76 billion U.S. handle with 27% year-over-year increase. Seahawks won 29-13 covering -4.5. Major losing bets include Mattress Mack $2M, Kendall Jenner $1M, and two $1M+ Circa Patriots wagers. Biggest winner turned $50K preseason Seahawks bet into $3.77M net profit.

A Record $1.76 Billion on One Game Americans legally wagered a record $1.76 billion on Super Bowl LX, according to the American Gaming Association. That’s a 27% jump from last year’s total. The global handle may have approached $4 billion when international markets are included. The Seahawks beat the Patriots 29-13 as 4.5-point favorites. The … Read more

Sports Betting Taxes: States Squeeze Sportsbooks in 2026

Infographic showing sports betting tax increases. Chicago combined rate exceeds 52%. Illinois per-bet tax of $0.25-$0.50 caused 15% volume drop. New Jersey up to 21%, Louisiana to 21.5%, Maryland to 20%.

States Squeeze Sportsbooks Sports betting operators entered 2026 facing a new reality: rising tax burdens that threaten profitability and may ultimately affect the odds offered to bettors. Illinois led the charge with unprecedented tax increases, and other states are following. For contrarian bettors, understanding this squeeze helps explain why lines may vary more dramatically by … Read more

ESPN BET Failure: The $2 Billion Lesson for Bettors

Infographic showing ESPN BET failure. 10-year deal lasted only 2 years. $2 billion partnership value. 2.9 million users migrated to theScore Bet. DraftKings now ESPN's official odds provider.

The $2 Billion Experiment Ends On December 1, 2025, ESPN BET quietly disappeared. Users who opened the app that morning found a new name, new logo, and new color scheme. The mint green had become electric blue. ESPN BET was now theScore Bet. The rebrand marked the end of one of the most ambitious and … Read more

Prediction Markets vs Sportsbooks: What Bettors Need to Know

Infographic showing prediction markets industry growth. Kalshi weekly trading volume exceeds $1 billion. Valuation grew from $5B to $11B. Sports accounts for 87% of volume. DraftKings Predictions now available in 38 states.

A New Way to Bet on Sports If you live in California, Texas, or one of the other states where sports betting remains illegal, you can now wager on NFL games through a loophole that has state regulators scrambling. Prediction markets like Kalshi and new offerings from DraftKings and FanDuel are accepting sports wagers in … Read more