When the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs take the field for Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, about 50 million Americans will have roughly $16 billion worth of wagers riding on the big game. That’s the prediction the American Gaming Association (AGA) is making ahead of what is likely to be one of the biggest events in regulated US sports betting history.
According to the AGA, those 50.4 million Americans wagering on the game represent about 20 percent of the US population and a 60 percent jump over the number who bet on last year’s Super Bowl. The $16 billion that they’re expected to drop on various wagers is roughly double what was predicted for Super Bowl LVI.
Wagers on the outcome of the game are split roughly 50/50 between the Chiefs and Eagles, but other betting numbers aren’t quite so even. The AGA says that about 60 percent of those wagers will be placed with a regulated operator, with much of the rest of the action happening in casual wagers like pools and squares.
Regulated sports betting in the US has been a big hit with NFL fans, about a third of whom say that betting has made the sport more interesting to watch.
AGA CEO Bill Miller is using the Super Bowl to promote the value of betting with a regulated operator saying, “Every year, the Super Bowl serves to highlight the benefits of legal sports betting: bettors are transitioning to the protections of the regulated market, leagues and sports media are seeing increased engagement, and legal operators are driving needed tax revenue to states across the country.”