According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), commercial sportsbooks generated more than $16bn in revenue in 2025.
Despite paling in comparison to the $50bn generated by traditional gaming, sports betting reported a 22.8% increase from the year before, compared to only 2.3% from its land-based counterpart.
The total wagered on sports by Americans that same year was $166bn, more than double the amount generated by the US film, music, book and museum industries combined ($70bn).
A strategic investment
Because of this, affiliate Clever Advertising acquired 100% of Pickwise, the US sports betting picks and analysis site.
With more than 1 million monthly visits, Pickwise provides daily picks and compares odds across legal sportsbooks, covering professional and college sports.
Clever Advertising had previously worked with the website, directing its content strategy, relaunching the app and working on the website and social channels. Therefore, the acquisition grants the company access to an American audience it helped develop.
In July, Clever Advertising also acquire the Polish SEO affiliate iGaming Nuts. The combination of iGaming Nuts and Pickwise now gives the affiliate more control over search and content channels in the US and Europe.
Unlike traditional games of chance, sports data can help determine a good wager from a bad one. According to a poll conducted by the Research Institute at Siena University (SRI), 85% of respondents said they enjoyed researching sports analytics before placing bets.
Sportsbooks analytics sit at the intersection of sports analytics, market comparisons and prediction markets
Moreover, the poll found that more than half of men ages 18 to 49 in US have an active account with an online sportsbook such as DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel or BetMGM. SRI also notes that the number of adults actively participating in the pastime was up 22% in 2025 and 19% in 2024, showing a slow but steady growth.
Sportsbook comparison platforms take analytics further, by providing players with the best odds and prices across multiple legal sportsbook operators.
When sports betting meets prediction markets
Perhaps one of the reasons for sports betting' proliferation in the US is due to prediction markets. Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket circumvent state regulation by acting as financial exchange services. Therefore, they can offer sports betting to users as young as 18 years old.
According to data from the Pew Research Center, in July 2026, sports' trading volume reached over $40bn across Kalshi and Polymarket combined.
Unlike traditional sportsbooks, prediction market prices are set by user supply and demand. Therefore, pricing can be much more dynamic.
In September, Genius Sports, one of the world's largest sports data suppliers, launched Prediction.com. The website leverages Legend, the company's consumer media and technology business, to provide users with comparisons of sports-related contracts across all platforms.
The website builds on Legend's existing consumer and comparison technology while establishing a dedicated brand for the growing prediction market sector.
Commercial sportsbooks generated more than $16bn in revenue in 2025
Prediction.com combines live game data from Genius Sports with real-time prediction market pricing; allowing users to follow the game alongside changing odds.
The platform is officially the first to combine sports analytics with prediction markets.
In February, when Genius Sports acquired Legend, it triggered a roughly 30% decline in its share price. To respond to the "divided" market reaction, CEO Mark Locke published a letter to shareholders.
Locke wrote: "Some people think we bought a simple affiliate business. Our view is different. We bought a participation layer built on two decades of technological investment that sits between official data infrastructure and the moment of transaction.”
Time will tell if the company's investment in Legend and launch of Prediction.com will pay off. However, Genius Sports' share price has been steadily climbing since February, currently up 44% in the past six months.
Nevertheless, sportsbooks analytics sit at the intersection of sports analytics, market comparisons and prediction markets. With the industry growing each year, the ability to leverage these platforms and technology will determine which companies rely on skill and which rely on chance.