How Strong is Interest in Sports Betting in States Where It Remains Illegal?

A new study by Doc's Sports analyzes public interest from 2019–2025 in sports betting across 12 U.S. states where the practice remains illegal. This study uses Google Trends search data to examine latent demand for sports betting in states where it is still illegal.

Key Takeaways

Interest in sports betting across prohibition states has more than doubled in just four years, with the average Google Trends score rising from 20.6 in 2020 to 43.4 in 2024.
Minnesota ranked #1 in states with interest in sports betting but it’s still prohibited, followed by California (71.7) ranked #2.
Alaska was the state ranked #6 fastest growing interest in sports betting, recording a 664.7% rise in search interest from 2020 to 2024.

Current Interest Levels (2024 Average)

Minnesota: 73.3
California: 71.7
Texas: 68.8
Georgia: 60.3
Alabama: 43

Dramatic Growth Rates (2019 vs. 2024)

Florida: 251.6% increase (10.5 → 36.92)
Hawaii: 228.4% increase (10.33 → 33.92)
Georgia: 206.7% increase (19.67 → 60.33)
South Carolina: 194.2% increase (14.08 → 41.42)
Texas: 180.0% increase (24.58 → 68.83)
Alaska: 664.7% increase (1.33 → 10.17 from 2020 baseline)

Interest Over Time

Peak Interest: Most states peaked 2020–2024, aligning with national legalization debates.
Acceleration: Average interest across all states rose from 20.6 (2020) to 43.4 (2024) – a 111% increase in four years.
Sustained Growth: 2023–2025 averages remain high for all states.

State Profiles

States with High Search Interest

Minnesota: 73.33 average interest in 2024; 129.7% growth from 2019 baseline of 31.92. Population: 5.7 million.
California: 71.67 average; 126.9% growth from 2019 (31.58). Population: nearly 40 million.
Texas: 68.83 average; 180% growth from 2019 (24.58). Population: 30+ million.

Highest Growth States

Florida: 251.6% growth (10.5 → 36.92)
Hawaii: 228.4% growth (10.33 → 33.92)
Georgia: 206.7% growth (19.67 → 60.33)

Emerging Markets

Ranking states by growth in search interest for sports betting.

South Carolina: 194.2% growth
Alabama: 145.7% growth
Utah: 177.0% growth
Oklahoma: 166.2% growth
Alaska: 664.7% from 2020 baseline
Idaho: 33.8% growth

The data shows that interest in sports betting is high and growing across all states where it remains prohibited, especially since 2020. California, Texas, and Minnesota stand out as the largest potential markets, and even states with historically low interest are seeing dramatic increases.

State Ranked by Average Interest in 2024

Additional Resources

How Much Money Are States Without Sports Betting Leaving on the Table?

Methodology

This study analyzes Google Trends data from January 2004 to July 2025 to examine consumer interest in sports betting across 12 U.S. states where the practice remains illegal (Alabama, Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah). Using the search term "sports betting," we collected 3,108 monthly observations representing relative search interest on a 0-100 scale.

Google Trends data serves as a proxy for latent consumer demand, with search behavior indicating interest levels in markets where the product is unavailable through legal channels. The analysis focuses on data from 2019 to 2024 to capture evolving interest patterns before and after key policy developments.

Key metrics include period-specific average interest scores, growth rates and peak interest identification. The methodology enables reproducible analysis while acknowledging that digital behavioral data reflects Google user patterns rather than complete population preferences.

Limitations

Google Trends reflects relative, not absolute, search volumes
External events like media coverage or sports seasons may affect search behavior
Assumes that search interest correlates with actual consumer demand

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Pick:	Guadalajara -135
Start:	August 10, 2025 @ 10:00 PM
Expert:	Doc's Sports

Analysis:

Free Soccer Play from Doc’s Sports. Liga MX Take Guadalajara -135 over Santos (10 p.m. EST, Sunday August 10) (Graded after regulation time - 90min - plus injury time – a DRAW is a loser here) As of this writing, Santos has been eliminated from Leagues Cup action, while Chivas will be soon. So this match is likely to take place on Sunday. Guadalajara is the only side in the Liga that has played two matches so far, so Santos is ahead of them on the table but Chivas can take a big leap over them with three points today and start to make their inevitable move up the table. Santos has looked bad lately and this side is a strong candidate to finish at the bottom of the table. They have a four-match losing streak heading into the final meaningless match of Leagues Cup. Guadalajara hasn’t seen great results lately, but they have faced a stronger slate of opponents and they have performed much better than their counterparts here on Sunday. Chivas won’t be happy with anything but three points in this match. Chivas have taken points in nine of ten meetings, and they won decisively in their last visit to Santos. We see another one- sided match here. Read More Read Less