When the Super Bowl kicks off on Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, a record amount of money will be on the line in legal U.S. sports betting markets, according to a recent study by the American Gaming Association (AGA).
The report predicts that a record 67.8 million American adults (26%) are expected to bet on the big game, a 35% increase from 2023. Americans plan to wager an estimated $23.1 billion this year, up from $16 billion last year.
“As the Super Bowl comes to Las Vegas for the first time, this year’s record interest in wagering marks a full circle moment for the U.S. gaming industry,” AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said. “Our priority remains getting this opportunity right by providing the consumer protections only a regulated market can guarantee and investing in responsible gambling tools, safeguards and education.”
A Growing Betting Landscape
A total of 38 states and Washington, D.C currently offer live, legal sports betting, as does the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. More than two-thirds of American adults (67%, 164 million people) now live in states allowing legal betting.
With the expansion of sports betting, traditional Super Bowl wagers are expected to pass casual wagers for a second consecutive year. Here are some other results from the study:
- 42.7 million American adults plan to place a traditional sports wager online, at a retail sportsbook, or with a bookie – an increase of 41% from 2023.
- 36.5 million plan to bet casually with friends or as part of a pool or squares contest, up 32% from 2023.
The study also noted that more Americans are migrating their action to the legal market with 28.7 million adults (11%) intend to bet online using a legal U.S. sportsbook.
The AGA noted that industry investments in responsible gambling have resonated with gamblers. The majority of traditional Super Bowl bettors (75%) report seeing a responsible gambling message in the last year, an increase of 4% from 2023. Additionally, 47% of all American adults recall hearing or seeing a responsible gambling message in the past year, up 7% from last year.
During Super Bowl week, Miller was heading to “radio row” in Las Vegas with Heisman trophy winner, former NFL running back, and current Fox Sports Big Noon Kickoff host Mark Ingram. The two were set to speak with the media about the expansion of legal sports betting and paying responsibly.
“The thrill of the game and the passion of the fans are what make sports so rewarding and fun,” Ingram said. “Legalized sports betting builds on this excitement. That’s why I’m thrilled to partner with the American Gaming Association to encourage fans, whether it’s during the Big Game or throughout the year, to keep it social and wager responsibly.”
As the game approaches, bettors are nearly split on the outcome, according to the survey, with 47% planning to bet on the Chiefs and 44% looking to wager on the 49ers.
Interesting Bets Abound
Some of those millions planning wager on the game have plunked down quite a bit more than most Americans probably plan on wagering. Others picked some of the more bizarre prop bets available, such as the length of the national anthem and color of gatorade doused on the winning coach, hoping for some nice paydays with a win.
In Nevada, one prognosticator is hoping for some really low scoring for the Chiefs – in fact, seeing the team only register a safety. The bettor put $100 on Kansas City solely scoring 2 points, at odds of 10,000 to 1. If that happens, the bettor would amazingly score a $1 million payday.
Seeing that happen would be a first. Two teams have only scored 3 points in a Super Bowl, the 2019 L.A. Rams and the 1972 Miami Dolphins. There have only been three safeties in the 57-year history of the Super Bowl, the last coming in 2014.
The New York Post also offers this nugget about the likelihood of the bet paying off: “A Patrick Mahomes-led team has only scored three or fewer points in a game once throughout his career — Week 7 in 2021 during a 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans.”
In Michigan, one bettor went big in backing the 49ers. This handicapper ponied up $1 million on San Francisco on the moneyline at odds of -120. The same player’s betting ticket also includes a few other interesting selections with $200,000 on a prop bet that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy would earn the game’s MVP award at +240.
The same bettor added an additional $100,000 on the coin toss being tails at -105. If everything goes his way, the Michigan bettor will grab a profit of more than $1.4 million.
