More than just a gamble; Survey finds half of sports bettors wager to pay bills

(WJAR) — Sports betting has exploded in popularity, with Americans wagering $167 billion dollars last year alone.

But a new survey from U.S. News & World Report finds that for many people, it’s more than just a little fun.

Greg Garrison, consumer banking analyst for U.S. News & World Reports said in some cases, sports bettors are now gambling on their livelihood.

“More than half of the sports bettors that we surveyed say they have wagered to try to come up with money to pay their bills,” said Garrison. “And that includes one in five who said they’ve wagered to try to cover their rent or their mortgage.”