More people are expected to bet on March Madness this year, especially in Indiana

People across Indiana won't just be watching on TV, many will be betting on some of the games. While many people may head to traditional off track betting sites many people will use sport betting apps on their phones.

More people are expected to bet on NCAA tournament this year

By: Meredith Hackler

INDIANAPOLIS — With three Indiana teams in the men's NCAA tournament, people across Indiana won't just be watching on TV — many will be betting on some of the games.

While some people may head to traditional off track betting sites, others will use sport betting apps on their phones.

“Overall across the country, 87% of bets are being made on mobile devices, so clearly a lot of people like the access in their pocket," said Casey Clark, the Senior Vice President at the American Gaming Association.

The American Gaming Association says 45 million Americans will wager $3.1 billion on March Madness this year. However, gamblers are less likely to put their money on their brackets.

“76% of total betting is going to be outside of brackets,” said Clark. “I think traditionally we would have thought that more people would have been engaging in more brackets, but bracket betting has actually been on a decline pretty steadily for the last couple of years."

While you may not be willing to bet on your bracket that will most likely be busted, in Indiana, sports betting is expected to hit a high this year due to so many local favorites competing in the big dance.

"When it comes to sports betting itself it's going to be on individual games [and] on which team will win the tournament and that rings especially true in Indiana,” said Jake Garza, Managing Editor of PlayIndiana.com. “We have IU, Purdue and Notre Dame in the tournament this year ... Purdue is one of the best teams in the entire country, so it's drawing a lot of interest."

Indiana is one of 30 states plus Washington D.C. that allows live and legal betting. Last year, the state brought in over $20 million in tax revenue from sports betting. That's more than double the amount of money the state made from gambling in 2020, and experts say that number will continue to grow.

"Even beyond March Madness, online sports betting has been growing exponentially in Indiana,” said Garza. “In January, Hoosiers bet over half a billion dollars on sports. That was an all-time record for the state."

While this increase in betting is good news for the state, the American Gaming Association asks that people gamble responsibly. There are currently 12 online sports betting sites and apps where people living in the Hoosier state can place their bets.