Introduction
The Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association prides itself on providing the industry and our members with the most accurate, up-to-date and impactful metrics to help guide business decisions. All of the in-depth statistics are free of charge to our members. Just one of the many member benefits that our association offers.
Industry At A Glance
(Note: the information on this page is drawn from several research studies, each with a slightly different cross-section of subjects. Some were U.S. and Canada (12+), some were U.S. only (18+), some were people who identified as serious fantasy players or sports bettors – so please allow for some minor discrepancies when cobbling numbers together across the categories)
Demographics (from our 2022 survey):
Fantasy players
- 67% male, 33% female
- 48% are between the ages of 18 -34
- 66% are employed full-time
- 69% make more than $40,000
Sports bettors
- 66% male, 34% female
- 45% are between the ages of 18-34
- 62% are employed full-time
- 69% make more than $40,000
Currently, 24% of Americans aged 18+ participate in sports betting. And 20% of Americans aged 18+ participate in fantasy sports.
The fantasy sports number has grown from 13% in 2014, while sports betting has grown from 19% in 2019.
81% of fantasy sports players bet on sports in 2022 compared to 78% in 2018. And 68% of sports bettors played fantasy sports in 2022 compared to 75% in 2018.
What do season-long fantasy sports players play?
- 54% of fantasy participants play fantasy football.
- 25% play fantasy baseball
- 22% play fantasy basketball (NBA)
- 18% NCAA Football
- 14% NCAA Basketball
- 14% CFL
- 14% NASCAR
- 14% USFL
- 13% NHL
- 12% eSports
- 12% Soccer
- 11% MMA
- 11% Golf
- 6% Bachlor
What sports are the most popular to bet on?
- 60% NFL
- 41% NBA
- 31% MLB
- 29% NCAA Football
- 28% NCAA Basketball
- 22% Boxing
- 20% NHL
- 20% MMA
- 16% Pro Soccer Leagues
- 14% Golf
- 14% eSports
- 12% NASCAR
- 11% International Soccer Tournaments
- 11% Tennis
- 5% CFL
In 2018, our research found that 79% of fantasy players said there’s at least a good possibility they’d bet on sports if and when a bill is passed to legalize it in their state.
Our 2017 study found that the average fantasy sports player spends a significant amount annually on research materials, subscriptions, parties, fees, and more.
These include:
- 73% of fantasy players who pay for non-cash prizes (like a trophy or belt)
- 84% of fantasy players have a draft party. The median spend for the league’s party is $653.
- at these draft parties, 93% of leagues spend money on food ($180 league median spend), 91% buy alcohol ($189), 86% buy soda ($100), and 73% have spent on live entertainment ($160).
- 68% of fantasy players spend money on a league punishment (like a tattoo, toilet bowl trophy, etc)
In 2022, there were 62.5 million people playing fantasy sports in the USA and Canada.
| Year | Estimated Number of Players |
| 1988 | 500,000 |
| 1991-1994 | 1 – 3 Million |
| 2003 | 15.2 Million |
| 2004 | 13.5 Million |
| 2005 | 12.6 Million |
| 2006 | 18 Million |
| 2007 | 19.4 Million |
| 2008 | 29.9 Million |
| 2009 | 28.4 Million |
| 2010 | 32 Million |
| 2011 | 35.9 Million |
| 2014 | 41.5 Million |
| 2015 | 56.8 Million |
| 2016 | 57.4 Million |
| 2017 | 59.3 Million |
| 2022 | 62.5 Million |
| Year | Estimated Number of Players |
| 2015 | 42 Million |
| 2016 | 42.8 Million |
| 2017 | 43.2 Million |
| 2019 | 45.9 Million |
| 2022 | 50.4 Million |