Following the legalisation of sports betting in yet another American state, New York, the country is settling down as a sports betting giant. This gambling shift is taking place right at the start of the big sports year of 2022, which is filled with both the Winter Olympics, men’s world cup in soccer, and a brand new and improved Formula 1 racing season.
Online gambling has increased dramatically worldwide prior to and during the pandemic years. For customers, online casinos have allowed for Covid-safe gambling from the comforts of their homes. For casino owners, the ability to expand their business onto online platforms has helped curb the losses from closed brick-and-mortar casinos during the lockdown seasons.
Visit Casino Frog to find the best casino near you, as they compare online casinos from all over the world.
The United States: A divided state for gamblers
The United States, known to many as a sports nation, has not legalized sports betting as a national matter. However, recently a majority of the states have started to make local reforms on the issue. As of today, 32 states and the District of Columbia allow sports betting, and in the past 12 months alone sports betting both online and offline has been legalized in over ten states.
Despite being divided in gambling policy, the Americans are mighty bettors when it comes to sports. During the Super Bowl, the last game of the American football season and informally known as “gambling’s national holiday”, the betting handle surged past $400 million leading up to last year’s game. One single bettor put down $2.3 million on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take the title despite being the underdog team. The bettor was in luck: the Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9, and the bettor received a return profit of $2 million.
New York opens up for online betting
The latest addition to the trend was the state of New York, who allowed for online sports betting as of January 8, 2022. During the opening weekend, over 1,2 million new accounts were created on the four accepted betting apps, and they are estimated to have produced a $150 billion revenue that weekend alone.
The state has also received over $200 million in license fees. New York governor Kathy Hochul has put forward a budget which distributes the revenue from the gambling reform to fund anti-addiction programs, youth sports programs and educational budgets.
A big year for sports
2022 is generally expected to be a big year for sports worldwide. Below is provided a brief overview of a selection of the various great sports events that are to take place during the great sports year of 2022.
Olympic Winter Games
The year begins with the Winter Olympics which are held on February 4-20 in Beijing, China. Beijing also hosted the Summer Olympics 2008, making it the first host nation to host both the summer and winter games. The games are followed by the Paralympic Games in the same location on March 4-13.
Football Championships
It is also a big year for both men’s and women’s soccer. The UEFA women’s European championship is taking place in England July 6-31. The FIFA men’s world cup is taking place in Qatar in November and December due to the extreme summer heat in the region, with playoffs taking place in April.
Brand new Formula 1 season (and car)
2022 is an especially exciting year for Formula 1 fans as this year’s season introduces the new car model design. The new design, which aims to allow closer racing and equal quality despite team funding differences. The new cars will allow for a decreased impact of tight racing downforce loss. The cars will also run on more sustainable fuel, switching to E10 fuel.
Track and Field World Championships
The track and field world championships will be held on American soil for the first time in history, despite the host nation having dominated short track events for many years. The tournament will take place July 15-24 at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. This event is bound to attract many of the newly legalized sports bettors from the country to participate in gambling.
World Equestrian Games
Denmark will host the FEI World Equestrian Games this year. The competitions will take place in Herning between August 6-14. The event, which is held every four years, will include eight new disciplines, including events such as vaulting, endurance riding, and para equestrianism.
Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk/.