Around 10,500 athletes, coaches, and team officials will prepare, parade, and compete in the Paris Games starting Friday. And, based on findings from a new Olympics 2024 betting poll, more than a few Americans are going to put their pocketbooks where their patriotism is.
Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business conducted its poll through the Sharkey Institute. It found that 15% of the US “general population” plans to bet on Olympic events. Another 76% said they will not wager on the Paris Games.
Aside from some preliminary events, the Games take place from July 26 to Aug. 11. Olympics odds are widely available among the 38 legal sports betting states, but there are some caveats.
Even the best sports betting apps won’t post lines on all 329 medal events. Some states also direct sportsbooks to remove odds if any competitors in an event (especially an individual event) are under the age of 18. Bettors will only see legal betting options when they stick to a licensed sportsbook in their state.
More Findings From the Olympics 2024 Betting Poll
Good news for NBC Universal and its streaming platforms: The Seton Hall study anticipates higher interest in the upcoming Games.
About 59% of respondents told Seton Hall pollsters they plan to watch at least part of the Paris Olympics. The number jumps to 75% among people who consider themselves sports fans.
For the postponed 2020 Tokyo Games in 2021, only 49% of the general public and 65% of sports fans planned to watch, according to Seton Hall Professor Charles Grantham, the director of the Center for Sport Management.
“Clearly, interest in the Paris 2024 Olympic games is the strongest in recent years,” he said. “Beyond being in Paris — one of the most visited and famous cities in the world — these Games feature a better time difference to see more competitions live, and less off-the-field distractions such as the pandemic (Tokyo 2021) or human rights concerns (Beijing 2022). This figures to be a sensational ratings success for NBC and its affiliates.”
Viewership translates to betting interest as well. Among the US general public:
- 39% of “avid” sports fans will bet on the Olympics
- 22% of self-described Olympics fans will wager
- 16% of “casual” sports fans will bet on the Olympics
- 2% of non-fans in the general public might place a bet anyway
Paris Games Won’t Beat Super Bowl LIX
At 46%, gymnastics draws the most US interest, ahead of the Games. But superstar gymnast Simone Biles likely won’t draw as much betting action as her husband Jonathan Owens does — if the Bears safety helps his team become a factor in Super Bowl odds.
Seton Hall Media Relations Director Laurie Pine wrote:
“Compared to the Super Bowl, sports betting on any of the events or competitions at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Games is lower, according to Seton Hall Sports Poll data. For the Olympics poll, 15 percent of the general population, 22 percent of Olympics fans, 23 percent of sports fans, [and] 39 percent of avid fans indicated they would be placing a bet or wager on any of the events or competitions.
“In a February poll before the 2024 Super Bowl, the sports betting numbers were higher with 20 percent of the general population, 30 percent of NFL fans, 30 percent of sports fans, [and] 46 percent of avid fans indicated they would be placing a bet or wager on the Super Bowl.”
The Olympics 2024 betting poll also posed this question: “The Olympic competitions are NOT professional sports. Should sports betting be allowed on events and competitions at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Games?” The following percentage of groups answered yes.
- 15% of the general population
- 29% of Olympics fans
- 23% of sports fans
- 39% of avid fans
Swimming equals gymnastics as the most popular event at 46%. Basketball (33%) and track & field (31%) should also draw plenty of interest at US sportsbooks.
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