Mobile sports betting is now legal in 18 states, which means it’s never been easier to bet on the Winter Games.
G amblers have been betting on the Olympic Games since the elite sporting event first took place in ancient Greece. But the Beijing Olympics marks the second year that millions of Americans will be able to legally place bets on their favorite country or athlete from their mobile phones. And the action is expected to hit a record level this year. There are about 30 states where sports betting is now legal, including 18 that allow online sports wagering. This means more than 100 million Americans can place a legal wager where they live. And the money gamblers have been putting up in new legal states is mind-blowing. New York’s mobile sports betting market hit $1.17 billion in total wagers within 15 days of the program’s launch, more than twice as much wagered at sportsbooks on the Las Vegas Strip in December. Bill Krackomberger, a veteran professional sports gambler, says the rise of mobile sports betting has made it easier for anyone to put a couple of dollars on a bobsled race or a figure skating competition. “It will be the most bet Olympics ever,” says Krackomberger, who is also the founder of sports betting app KrackWins. “It’s a different market now with new states, which will translate to ridiculous amounts of money for the sportsbooks and a catastrophe for the people betting at home in their underwear.
