More people are likely to fill out brackets for March Madness than cast votes for any single candidate running for president this year, according to the American Gaming Association.

According to figures released Monday, AGA estimates that more than 70 million brackets will be filled out for NCAA March Madness. By comparison, 65 million Americans voted for President Barack Obama in the 2012 elections while 61 million voted for Republican candidate Mitt Romney. No presidential candidate has ever received 70 million votes.

AGA is pushing for changes in law that would expand legalized gambling on the basketball tournament.

"Americans' passion for betting fuels the unmatched popularity of March Madness," AGA CEO Geoff Freeman said. "Betting increasingly drives sports fans—and even casual observers—to invest in the tournament, offering further evidence that sports betting is the new national pastime. It's time for a fresh, rational approach to sports betting that reflects this reality."

The association estimates that people will wager $9.2 billion on March Madness this year, mostly through office pools and illegal offshore sites and bookies. Only $262 million of that amount will be bet legally through Nevada sports books. http://bit.ly/1WnFTYf

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