Online sports betting has exploded in the few years it has been widely legal in the US. Companies like DraftKings Inc. and FanDuel Inc. are ubiquitous on TV, radio, billboards and social media. All the major US sports leagues now have partnerships with betting platforms. ESPN has a 10-year deal with a casino operator to license its widely known brand, capitalizing on the surge in interest in sports betting as more states have legalized it. Gamblers are expected to wager a record $23.1 billion on the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, which would make it the most bet-upon game in US history.

Until just a few years ago, if you wanted to bet on a sporting event in the US, you’d have to either travel to Las Vegas or patronize an illegal bookie. All that changed in 2018 when the US Supreme Court allowed states to legalize sports gambling. Today, gamblers in a large majority of the country can place bets on dozens of mobile apps known as sportsbooks without ever leaving their couch. Most of the betting occurs on either FanDuel or DraftKings. That’s made it hard for others to make inroads. In July, Fox Corp. said it would wind down Fox Bet, a wagering business it offered in partnership with Flutter Entertainment Plc. Some smaller sports betting apps have also called it quits, unable to survive in an expensive, competitive landscape. Industry giants are pouring money into ads and promotions and looking for new ways to attract new gamblers. Las Vegas-style sports bars with betting kiosks have opened in many stadiums, including in Wrigley Field in Chicago, State Farm Stadium in Arizona and Capitol One Arena in Washington.