It’s going to be a record year of Super Bowl betting if new figures from the American Gaming Association turn out to be true. With the expansion of legal sports betting, they’ll likely be close.
According to the AGA, 50.4 million American adults (20%) are expected to bet on Super Bowl LVII between the Kanas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, a 61% increase over last year’s estimate. They’re expected to wager $16 billion, which is more than double last year’s projection.
And for the first time ever, traditional Super Bowl wagers — via online sportsbook, retail sportsbook or bookie — are expected to pass casual wagers (bets with friends via pool, squares, etc.).
🚨🏈 NEW: A record 50.4M American adults (20%) plan to wager an estimated $16B on #SuperBowlLVII, according to AGA’s annual Super Bowl wagering survey. The expected number of bettors is a 61% increase from 2022.
See full #SBLVII betting projections ➡️ https://t.co/eDcTvqpSQd pic.twitter.com/v7vk3nqhVJ
— American Gaming Association (@AmericanGaming) February 7, 2023
The projections say 30 million adults will place a traditional bet, while 28 million will bet casually. Digging deeper, a 38% majority of all bets are expected to be placed online.
Betting is apparently making the game more interesting for viewers, as 34% of NFL fans said the expansion of legal gambling has made watching the games more exciting.