The 2024 Paris Olympics is turning out to be a majorly exciting event, particularly with the likes of the Japanese Men’s team winning the Gold in Artistic Gymnastics.
The world of legal sports betting is also facing exciting times because of the openness of competition at the Games as more and more people are trying out their luck. In the US, the betting numbers could well exceed all expectations, given the number of people who are legally allowed to bet.
2024 expects as many as 164 million American people to bet on the Paris Olympics. In stark contrast, only 97 million people had the luxury of doing so, given the country’s laws.
The rise in the number stems from the fact that sports betting has been legalized in 38 U.S. states. When the Tokyo Olympics were on, only 22 states had the liberty to do so. Thus, the Paris Olympics is on track to become the most bet-on sporting event in US history.
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Another contributing factor to the accolade is the window of operations of the Games. Sportingly, this is a slow time of the year, with no other major tournament taking place in any discipline. Even the F1 season has gone into a month’s break and will return long after the Olympics are over.
However, hurdles still await those who are looking to bet, given the 9-hour time difference between America and France. The difference in time zones makes it difficult for many people to keep track of the events.
Despite the challenges posed by the time difference, the enthusiasm for large-scale betting on American athletes remains high, particularly given their strong prospects for success across multiple events.
The US is a clear favorite to land Gold in several disciplines at the Paris Olympics
While the US is a strong contender for a medal in almost every event its athletes participate in, they are clear favorites to win the Gold in several events. The Women’s Artistic Gymnastics team was the first to face the test, and they passed with flying colors.
Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera combined to secure 171.296 points and the Gold for their country.
It’s #gold for the USA!
First place in artistic gymnastics women’s team!
This is the fourth gold medal for the USA in this event and Simone Biles adds a 5th gold to her medal tally! @TeamUSA| @gymnastics | #Paris2024 | #Samsung | #TogetherforTomorrow pic.twitter.com/wknFkmxU3S
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 30, 2024
Meanwhile, their Basketball team, featuring the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Kevin Durant, is also expected to fetch Gold.
In the preliminary round of the Group Stage, they secured an easy win over Serbia with a score of 110-84. They now face South Sudan in their next Group Stage game. The US Women’s National Soccer team is also on a roll and is on course for a Gold medal.
Led by Lindsey Horan, the team comprising Sofia Smith and Co. cruised past the German challenge in their second match of the campaign. The season opener saw them ease past Zambia 3-0 as they now face Australia in their last group game.
