Data provider Nielsen Sports conducted the research, intending to identify “groundbreaking demographic and behavioural characteristics of self-identified bettors” within the US gaming landscape.

Sara Slane, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for the AGA, said: "The Nielsen Sports data supports what we've long expected: access to legal sports wagering will increase fan engagement in major sport contests and enable a significant revenue generation opportunity for major sports leagues and teams."

Findings in the report included the fact that 71% of survey participants that currently use a bookmaker would switch to a regulated market if they had access to a legal platform.

Household income of 29% of the suveyed bettors was almost double that of the general population, as they earned above $100,000.

Nielsen Sports also found that 44% of sports bettors in the survey were under the age of 35.

Slane added: “Expanding access to legal sports betting will bring millennial audiences back to sports broadcasts and stadiums, which is a huge benefit for sport enterprises across the country.

“However, this potential will only be realised with proper policy frameworks that empower consumers with competitive odds, access to all bets and the ability to tap into modern platforms including mobile. Without this focus on consumers, the illegal market will continue to thrive.”

The custom survey covered 1,032 US participants, who were all over 18.

Currently, the AGA is also researching how much each US sports league could stand to make from widely-available, legal, regulated sports betting.