More than 50 million Americans are expected to bet in some form on Super Bowl LVII, according to an American Gaming Association survey released Tuesday. That would be a 60% increase from last year’s event.
The AGA survey projects bettors will wager $16 billion on the big game by various means, which doubles last year’s estimate.
“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,” AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said in a press release.
A total of 33 states and Washington, D.C., have live, legal sports betting, and three additional legal markets are awaiting launch. Ohio and Massachusetts are among the states to recently debut legal sports betting, although a mobile launch in Massachusetts is waiting until next month. More than half of American adults (146 million) live in a jurisdiction where they can place legal sports wagers.
Survey details
For the first time ever, more Americans are expected to place traditional sports wagers than to do casual betting with friends and family. The survey described traditional sports wagers as those with a mobile sportsbook, retail sportsbook, or bookie.
While Sunday’s game between the Chiefs and Eagles should be exciting for non-bettors, the AGA survey suggests that legalized sports betting has only increased fan engagement in the sport. The expansion of legalized sports wagering has made the NFL more exciting, according to 34% of NFL fans who responded to the survey.
Bettors are split on their expectations for Chiefs-Eagles, with 44% of respondents saying they plan to bet on Kansas City and another 44% saying they will do so on Philadelphia. The Eagles are 1.5-point favorites at multiple sportsbooks, including BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet.
Miller and the AGA were pleased with responsible gambling results from the survey. Just over 70% of traditional Super Bowl bettors said they’ve seen a responsible gaming message in the last year.
“As interest in legal sports betting continues to expand, the gaming industry remains committed to responsibly delivering world class entertainment, educating consumers about how to bet responsibly, and combating illegal gambling as we work to build a safe, competitive and sustainable legal market for all,” Miller said.
The survey was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the AGA on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, and it surveyed 2,199 adults. The survey has a margin of error of +/-2%.
