The American Gaming Association (AGA) released its annual Super Bowl betting handle estimate on Tuesday (4 February) morning – but took a different approach than in past years.
The headline news: American sports bettors are projected to legally wager a record $1.39 billion (£1.11 billion/€1.34 billion) on Super Bowl LIX. The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome is set for Sunday (9 February).
But it is difficult to put that number in context relative to AGA estimates in prior years. Previously, the AGA estimated how many American adults would be betting and how much they would be risking across all regulated and unregulated options. The organisation did this for each of the post-PASPA Super Bowls. This included off-the-books “Super Bowl Squares” pools with family and friends.
Those projections, by year:
2019: 22.7 million adults, $6.0 billion
2020: 26 million adults, $6.8 billion
2021: 23.2 million adults, $4.3 billion
2022: 31.4 million adults, $7.61 billion
2023: 50.4 million adults, $16 billion
2024: 68 million adults, $23.1 billion
Legal estimate only
According to the AGA, the $1.39 billion expected to be wagered legally on the Super Bowl would be a record. US adults can currently legally wager in 38 states plus Washington DC. That said, it may pale in comparison to the amount bet across all available methods a year ago.
“No single event unites sports fans like the Super Bowl and that excitement extends to sports betting, with this year’s record legal handle reflecting its widespread appeal,” said AGA president and CEO Bill Miller in the release. “This figure underscores the positive impact of the legal market – from protecting consumers to generating tax revenue that benefits communities across the country – while enhancing the game experience for all.”
Read the full story here.
Casino Reports is an independently-owned publication dedicated to covering the regulated US online
casino/igaming industry, with news, features and original reporting on industry happenings, business, legislation, regulations and more.
