Share 
With more than half of the great big map of American sports betting shaded in green — or black, or whatever symbolic color — the factions that comprise the industry can’t help but contemplate the prized pieces left. They also have to consider how the legislative actions and moral judgments in their neighbor states might eventually help shade the whole thing the same color.
Heavily populated states like Illinois and Michigan joined the fray in 2020, as did a surprise addition in Tennessee. Louisiana, Maryland and South Dakota passed bills, which had potentially damaging ramifications for online casino and sports betting.
That four years’ — at least — worth of open field would seemingly greatly improve the odds of Winchell’s prediction of upward of 35 states offering legal sports betting by 2025. That span of time would also, in theory, allow the acceptance of the business to marinate in more conservative locales, as has been the case with legalized marijuana, and potentially pull the previously unattainable into the fold.
Zarnett said signs are positive in the economic sector, also.
“The stock market is very enthusiastic for online growth, and given we’re kind of at a billion dollars going to, I would say broadly speaking, estimates are $40 billion,” Zarnett said. “There’s a lot of opportunity on a forward basis.
“And then I also see that some of the states that have been reluctant to approve gaming, like Texas, will begin to dip their toe in the water and probably start with sports betting and expand from there.”
