As each new US state passes legislation allowing online sports betting, a whole new audience gets to enjoy the pastime, and this has resulted in some staggering numbers in terms of money wagered and revenue generated by the licensed, regulated providers in the relevant territory.

Online sports betting in Louisiana went live in late January 2022, and it was not as simple a process as it has been in other states. Whereas in most states, the referendums used to dictate the possibility of legalization coming up on the docket in a state-wide referendum, in the Pelican State, the situation is broken down by county.

Of the 64 parishes that voted on the matter of online sports betting, 55 approved, and nine did not, but this led to a fairly absurd situation that meant that people in those parishes needed only to get in their vehicles and drive to a relevant neighborhood before placing their bets.

The state has eight legal sportsbook apps, including DraftKings Louisiana, which is, without doubt, one of the most popular and best available to residents, and in December, revenue hit a record $37.2 million, showing just how much potential there is in the market in the region.

This was in marked contrast to the revenue made in November, which saw the many sportsbooks take a big hit as Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale beat the bookies with a series of bets placed on the Houston Astros winning the MLB World Series.

He won a staggering $75 million from his bets, of which $58.7 million came in Louisiana, something that the providers in the state could not have possibly mitigated or predicted.

Over the course of 2022, the first year of legalization in Louisiana, the state broke the $30 million milestone for revenue four times, and December’s numbers were the highest of the whole year and a sign of things to come.

In 2022 sportsbooks accepted over $2.3 billion in bets, with $1.96 billion coming from mobile devices, which is evidence of a massive shift to mobile betting, which can be seen worldwide, not just in the sports betting world but also in the online casino industry.

The success of online sports betting hasn’t only been advantageous to the sportsbooks that are licensed to operate but also helped to bring in $33.9 million in tax receipts, with almost 40% of that total coming in the final quarter of 2022.

Those December numbers put Louisiana in seventh place in terms of sports betting handle, behind the following. 

• 1) New York $1.63 billion
• 2) New Jersey $1.06 billion
• 3) Pennsylvania $754.8 million
• 4) Maryland$497.1 million
• 5) Tennessee$440.4 million
• 6) Indiana$431.4 million
• 7) Louisiana$254.3 million
• 8) Iowa$229.9 million
• 9) Kansas$182 million
• 10) West Virginia$66 million

Of the sports that attract bets in Louisiana, American football is top of the list, with basketball a distant second. Baseball lies in third.

2023 promises more of the same for Louisiana, with February likely to be a big month given the end of the NFL season and the Super Bowl on the 13th of February. 

The wide receiver position in the NFL is one of the most important on the gridiron, as these players help convert passes into touchdowns. Having elite players in this position is a big boost to a team’s offense.

Here is a rundown of the top 10 wide receivers in the NFL today who look on course to finish their careers as Hall of Fame players.

10. Tyler Lockett (Seattle Seahawks)

With over 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last four seasons, Tyler Lockett has consistently been one of the league’s best wide receivers. The Seattle Seahawks man often produces explosive plays down the field for his team. 

9. Stefon Diggs (Buffalo Bills)

One of the reasons for the success the Buffalo Bills have has in recent seasons is down to the plays Stefon Diggs has made at WR. He is the player who attracts the most attention from the opponents' defense. Diggs will be doing all he can to help his team to Super Bowl success this season. As of January 20, the AFC East champions are +300 in the sports betting for the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LVII.

8. Michael Thomas (New Orleans Saints)

Three-time Pro Bowler Michael Thomas was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the league in 2019. He finished that year with 149 receptions and 1,725 receiving yards. Injuries have limited the number of games he has played in recent years, but when fit, he remains an elite WR.

7. Cooper Kupp (LA Rams)

Super Bowl winner Cooper Kupp was the Offensive Player of the Year in 2021. He was also named the Super Bowl MVP after a huge performance against the Cincinnati Bengals at Super Bowl LVI. The LA Rams player has scored over 6,000 receiving yards in the last six years in the NFL.

6. Odell Beckham Jr. (free agent)

Former LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made an immediate impact in the NFL in his opening year. He was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year after scoring 12 touchdowns for the New York Giants. Beckham Jr. moved to LA in 2021 to join the Rams and he helped them win the Super Bowl at their home stadium. He is set to attract a lot of interest in the offseason as a free agent.

5. Amari Cooper (Cleveland Browns)

Amari Cooper has been a star quarterback at three different franchises now. The talented WR is currently with the Cleveland Browns, and they will be hoping he can help them with their rebuild project. The four-time Pro Bowler led his team in receiving yards in 2021, accumulating a total of 1,160 yards in his debut season in Ohio.

4. Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings)

Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson led the league in receiving yards in 2022. He finished the regular season with 1,809 yards and 128 receptions. He played a big role in the Vikings’ impressive offense. Jefferson has put up big numbers in each of his three years in the league and there is likely to be a lot more to come from him.

3. A.J. Brown (Philadelphia Eagles)

The Philadelphia Eagles signed A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans last year and he has helped turn them into Super Bowl contenders. The new Eagles man put up career-best figures in 2022, with 1,496 receiving yards, 88 receptions, and 11 touchdowns. Philadelphia will be hoping he continues that form into the playoffs.

2. Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders)

After eight years of playing with Aaron Rodgers at the Green Bay Packers, Davante Adams opted to join the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. He proved he could have success with another franchise. Adams will be closing in on 10,000 career receiving yards in 2023. He is an exceptionally gifted catcher of the ball.

1. Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins)

Arguably the biggest trade before the 2022 season began came when the Miami Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs. The explosive wide receiver has scored 63 receiving touchdowns in seven seasons in the NFL. His speed, low center of gravity, and ability to bring down the ball makes him one of the best of his generation at his position.

The above players will surely be in contention for many of the awards on offer at the 2023 NFL Honors in February in Arizona. 

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 100 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 180 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 182 Cup Points:  44 Games, 33.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 8.6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 29.9 PER, 7.8 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

Doncic is still at number #1, but is he is still the MVP front-runner?  The man at #2 is staking a claim for that.  The European star is currently leading the NBA in Points per Game (33.8) and is 4^th in Assists per Game (8.8).  The Mavericks will go as far as Doncic can take them.

2. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 177 Points:  46 Games, 31.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 24.6 PER, 6.8 WS.  (#2 on last ranking)

Tatum is threatening to top the list, and for many is the current front runner for the NBA MVP.  He has never finished with a PPG over 30, but he has that currently (31.0).

3 (Tie). Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 160 Cup Points:  42 Games, 25.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 9.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 32.4 PER, 9.5 WS.  (#3 on last ranking)

The “Joker” has been great lately, and we know someone wants to get that third Cup!  He is currently leading the NBA in PER (32.4), VORP (5.4), Box Plus/Minus (13.2) and Win Shares (9.5).

3 (Tie). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 160 Cup Points:  43 Games, 30.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 27.0 PER, 7.1 WS. (#3 on last ranking)

Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be an All-Star this year, and is shattering last year’s averages, which were already good.  How great will this Canadian be?

5 (Tie). Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, 153 Cup Points:  39 Games, 29.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 26.8 PER, 6.4 WS.  (#5 on last ranking)

The Nets were on fire, and Durant was posting his best numbers over the past three years.  K.D. is now on the injured list with an MCL injury, and will miss a month, that will cost him the MVP and of course, the NIHOF Cup.  He dropped three spots from out last update.

6 (Tie). Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 153 Cup Points:  39 Games, 27.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 7.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 23.5 PER, 4.1 WS. (#8 on last ranking)

Morant is the face of the Grizzles, and he is posting similar numbers from last year, when he took Memphis to the next level.

5 (Tie). Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 153 Cup Points:  36 Games, 30.9 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 26.9 PER, 4.4 WS. (#6 on last ranking)

The two-time MVP has the least amount of Games Played of anyone else in the top ten, and had he not missed them, would potentially be in the top spot.

8 (Tie). Julius Randle, New York Knicks, 148 Points:  49 Games, 24.6 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 21.1 PER, 5.8 WS. (#9 on last ranking)

Randle continues to climb the list, and currently has a higher PPG (24.4), as his All-Star year two years ago (24.1).

8 (Tie). Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, 148 Cup Points:  34 Games, 33.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 30.9 PER, 6.1 WS.  (#9 on last ranking)

Embiid is currently second in Points per Game (behind Doncic), but is currently dealing with a foot injury.

10. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks, 142 Points:  43 Games, 27.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 9.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 21.4 PER, 3.6 WS. (#10 on last ranking)

Young holds the final spot on the top ten, and is the face of an intriguing Hawks squad.  

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 170 Cup Points.

Ranking the Top 5 Sports in the United States

The United States being a sports-obsessed country surprises no one. Americans love their sports, especially if they get to drink and eat snacks while watching.

Grandstands are nearly always full for the popular professional leagues, while many elite colleges even sell out their arenas while playing games throughout the year.

With online sports betting also legalized in many parts of the country, the nation’s fascination with competitive sports is only likely to get more frenzied.

The love of sports in America has not changed much in the past few decades, but popular sports are slightly different. While dominant sports such as American football are here to stay, some sports have risen up the rankings and captured the hearts of Americans in recent years.

Below is our rundown of the top five sports in the United States.

1. American Football

No game has a deeper meaning in American culture than American football, which was invented and is mostly played in the United States. When you talk with any person on the street in any part of the USA, you can likely get them talking about their favorite football team if you steer the conversation in that direction.

The National Football League regularly has better TV viewership numbers compared to other sports on this list. This shows that even when Americans are not attending football games in person, they watch at home.

Aside from the professional league, college football is also a phenomenon in the United States. Colleges can regularly sell out huge stadiums of 30,000 or 40,000 people, while they even get TV viewership numbers in the millions for big games.

2. Baseball

Another sport that is huge in the United States is baseball. Slightly more popular around the world compared to American football, baseball is still predominantly seen as an American sport. Around half of all Americans have a favorite baseball team, even if all of them are not watching regularly.

One of the reasons why baseball has always remained so popular in America, even in an era of decreased attention spans, is because of its part in the country’s culture. Going to a baseball game is not about watching the sport, but about having a day out with friends or family at a wonderful stadium in a great part of your city.

College baseball is not on the same level as college football in terms of popularity, but ratings for MLB baseball games do compare with NFL football, depending on the time of the year and who is playing. Betting stats also show that similar numbers of wagers are placed on baseball games, as compared to American football matches.

3. Basketball

The sport of basketball is in an interesting position in the United States. There is huge money in the league, with the top players such as LeBron James making a fortune on and off the court.

Stadiums are usually full, and there is a lot of attention on college basketball as well. The issue for basketball is that despite having a lot of money in the sport and a great deal of popular cultural relevance, its TV ratings are not on par with football or baseball.

Around a quarter of Americans say they play basketball semi-regularly, but the issue is that most of them are not watching most weeks. One of the reasons that basketball may not get the TV ratings of other sports is that there are so many regular season and playoff games that it can feel overwhelming for fans.

4. Boxing

While MMA is clipping at the heels of boxing through its popular UFC league, the sport is still hugely popular in the United States. Top athletes of the past, such as Mohammed Ali, are national icons. Even modern stars, like Floyd Mayweather, are well-known and extremely successful because of the sport.

Boxing does have more of a niche audience, compared to the other sports on this list, but that audience is very passionate. Boxing fans not only know a great deal about the history of the sport, but they are willing to pay good money to watch their favorite boxers compete, both in person and on television.

5. Soccer

A surprise appearance on this list, soccer has risen in popularity in the United States in the past decade. While the beautiful game is legendary worldwide, it does not always get the same recognition or appreciation stateside.

That is changing with the latest generation of sports fans in America, with many now tuning in to watch European soccer leagues such as the English Premier League and Spanish La Liga. Competitions such as the men’s and women’s World Cup have also contributed to the sport’s increased presence in the United States.

With America set to be one of the hosts for the 2026 World Cup, soccer may even grab a fourth spot on this list in a few years.