Did You Fill Out Your Bracket Yet?
Almost 40 million Americans will fill out a bracket this year. That’s according to the American Gaming Association, which tracks this stuff. Here are five quick stats on the first NCAA tournament in two years . . .
1. 37 million Americans will fill out a bracket this year. That’s down about 8% from 2019. (But up 100% from last year!)
2. Interest in the tournament in general is up slightly. 26% of people say they’re “extremely” interested or “very” interested in watching. Two years ago, it was 23%.
3. 42% of college basketball fans say they’ve followed games more closely this year.
4. 47 million of us will bet on March Madness in one way or another. That includes things like brackets, and also traditional bets.
5. 31 million people will bet on the games. Just under 18 million will bet online . . . 8 million will go to a sportsbook . . . and a lot of people just bet with friends.
So who do gamblers expect to win it all this year? The top three teams they’re betting on are . . . Gonzaga, Florida State, and Baylor.