AGA: 98% of football bets are considered illegal

With the Denver Broncos and Carolina Pathers kicking off the 2016 NFL season Thursday night and college football already in full swing, officials are eying illegal betting practices.

According to the American Gaming Association (‘AGA’), football bets are expected top 90 billion dollars for a second straight season.

Chris Moyer, Senior Director of Public Affairs for AGA, says that figure includes private wagers and online betting; however, 98 percent of that is considered illegal. That amounts to about 88 billion dollars.

“It’s [football] become such a popular pastime among American sports fans, that it makes you wonder why do we still have this failed federal law that criminalizes or aims to prohibit an activity that most people enjoy among their friends?” explains Moyer.

A law passed in 1992 made it illegal to operating a betting scheme, with the exception of a few states including Nevada.

Moyer tells 47ABC, the gaming association will be active next year in introducing laws that they think will better serve the public.

“You’ve seen the NBA come out in support of a transparent, regulated market kind of like they do in Europe…just as they do in Las Vegas,” he says. “This works, there are ways to detect when there’s sketchy activity happening. Officials who operate these legal sports books work with law enforcement to rid out shady activity and they work with the sports league to let them know when are suspicious bets being placed on their games.”

According to The Mellman Group, 41 percent of Super Bowl viewers have bet on the game at some point.