American sports fans are poised to bet $8.5 billion on March Madness this spring. All told, 47 million Americans are expected to bet an average of $181 per person on the tournament.
Eight states now offer legalized betting, and that number could grow to 39 within a few years. But the lack of legal betting has never stopped wagering on the outcome of the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament.
This is the first tournament held since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could legalize and regulate sports betting.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.