About 68 million Americans (1 in 4) plan to bet on this year’s Super Bowl, which will be played on the eve of Sunday through Monday at 12:30 a.m., setting a record never seen before, according to the American Football Association. Game (AGA).
The figures published this Tuesday include bets made with points of sale, as well as in illegal betting houses and online operations from other countries. Betting participation volume is forecast to be 35% higher than last year. In that Super Bowl, bettors allocated 16 billion dollars, however, this year they plan to bet about 23 billion dollars, which is equivalent to about 21.5 billion euros.
Of this figure, it is expected that around 1.5 billion dollars (about 1,397 million euros) will be bet through legal means, according to the American Gaming Association. “There is a high possibility that each Super Bowl of the next ten years will be the one that brings in the most money from betting. “This is due to the underlying growth of regulated sports betting in the US,” said gaming analyst Chris Grove, partner at Eilers.
Sunday’s game will pit the current champion, the Kansas City Chiefs, against the San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of the Super Bowl that took place four years ago, when Andy Reid’s students led by Patrick Mahomes achieved victory. This year, however, the favorites are the 49ers, who are given a lead of 2.5 points, meaning they would have to win the game by 3 or more points for bets on them to be winners. On the contrary, if the Chiefs win, or if they lose by less than 2 points, they would win bets on Kansas City.
On the other hand, about 73% of Americans say they plan to watch the game this year, up 10% from last year. The romance between one of the Chiefs’ great figures, Travis Kelce, and pop superstar Taylor Swift, is helping to increase interest in this Super Bowl. “I think the ‘Taylor Swift effect’ makes the number of people who are going to bet on the Super Bowl greater,” Grove said. Cait DeBaun, vice president of the American Gaming Association, also believes Swift is one of several reasons for increased betting on this year’s Super Bowl, along with the fact that the game will be played in Las Vegas, the betting city.
Bettors are divided on the outcome of the matchup, with 47% planning to bet on the Kansas City Chiefs versus 44% planning to bet on the San Francisco 49ers, according to the Jan. 30 AGA poll. to February 1 in a sample where 2,204 people participated.
13% of the money wagered at legal sportsbooks will come from Nevada, where the game will take place. They are followed by New York (12.4%), New Jersey (9.6%), Pennsylvania (7.4%), Illinois (7.3%), Ohio (7%) and Arizona (5.6%), according to Eilers
Between 10% and 15% of legal bets will be placed live after the match has started. However, these do not only focus on the game, but also deal with independent questions, such as what will be the first song Usher will sing at half-time, what color drink will be thrown at the winning coach or how many dogs hot will be sold at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Brian Becker, senior vice president of Tipico Sportsbook, also predicts a record level of betting on this year’s Super Bowl. “The game-watching experience has become more immersive than ever. As we get closer to Sunday, more fans will be encouraged to place bets on the Super Bowl.”