MW Why Americans will bet a record $1.39 billion on Super Bowl LIX

By Weston Blasi

Experts predict that for the first time, a state other than Nevada will see the most money wagered

Don't bet against the Super Bowl.

At least $1.39 billion is expected to be legally wagered on Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 9, according to new data from the American Gaming Association, the primary trade group for the U.S. casino industry. That would break the previous record set at last year's Super Bowl LVIII of $1.25 billion, per consulting firm Eilers & Krejcik's. The AGA said it uses $1.25 billion as its official 2024 Super Bowl betting figure.

"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," Bill Miller, the AGA's president and chief executive, told MarketWatch. "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."

While yearly total legal sports betting has hit record highs every year as more states have legalized sports gambling, there's another betting milestone that may be reached in the 2025 Super Bowl: The dethroning of Nevada as the state with the most betting activity.

Las Vegas, a renowned gambling capital, has long helped Nevada host the most Super Bowl betting activity of any state. But that could change in 2025 for Super Bowl LIX, according to at least one analyst.

That's because, ever since the Supreme Court struck down the U.S. ban on sports betting in 2018, New York and New Jersey have at times actually accepted more money in sports bets than Nevada. And the Empire State could possibly overtake Sin City's home state when it comes to Super Bowl wagers this year.

"New York really should overtake Nevada for first place this time around," Eric Ramsey of LegalSportsReport, a sports-betting site that tracks states' gambling amounts, told MarketWatch. He noted that the New York market produced nearly three times as much volume as Nevada last year.

Ramsey added that New York probably would have overtaken Nevada last year in Super Bowl betting had the Super Bowl itself not been played in Las Vegas, which led to extra travelers and buzz in the state that helped raise the volume of bets in Nevada.

LegalSportsReport estimates Super Bowl LIX betting will reach $183 million this year in New York state alone, followed by $170 million for Nevada and $147 million for New Jersey.

The sports-betting site also anticipates a record-setting Super Bowl LIX when it comes to bets, projecting $1.5 billion in legal wagers on the big game - going above the American Gaming Association's $1.39 billion estimate. LegalSportsReport has also seen Super Bowl bets spiking year over year, surging from $300 million in 2020 to $1.3 billion last year.

      -- Year        Legal Super Bowl bets (in billions) 
      -- 2020      |      $0.3B 
      -- 2021      |        $0.5B 
      -- 2022      |             $0.914B 
      -- 2023      |              $1.07B 
      -- 2024      |                $1.3B 
      -- 2025      |                 $1.5B 

So what's driving the rise in Super Bowl betting?

Sports gambling is becoming legal in more places. Some 38 states - plus Washington, D.C. - now offer some form of legal sports betting, representing roughly 70% of the American adult population, according to the American Gaming Association. Both North Carolina and Missouri have legalized online sports betting since the 2024 Super Bowl, and almost every year more states are crafting legislation on sports betting.

See: Here's how much money NFL stars Patrick Mahomes, Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts can make in Super Bowl bonuses

What's more, legalized sports betting has become even easier for people who want to have a little extra skin in the game. Fans at the Super Bowl itself can place bets now, for example, because for the third straight year, the Super Bowl will be played in a state - Louisiana - where online sports betting is legal.

And sportsbook apps are becoming more widely used, too. Many major sportsbooks have reported monthly active user growth during earnings reports, also due in part to more states legalizing gambling. U.S. sportsbooks - which include big players like DraftKings $(DKNG)$, FanDuel $(FLUT)$ and Caesars $(CZR)$ - generated roughly $150 billion in handle (total amount wagered) in 2024, according to publicly available data published by states where it's legal to bet.

The total amount of money wagered on Super Bowl LIX will actually be much higher than the estimates above, because they only include legal wagers placed at regulated U.S. sportsbooks - and not illegal wagers made through offshore sportsbooks, placed with a local bookie, or gambled in an office pool or squares contest, which are also quite popular during the Super Bowl.

When factoring in all of these other off-the-books gambling methods, the American Gaming Association estimates that last year's Super Bowl saw a whopping $23.1 billion in total betting activity from 67.8 million Americans.

The Super Bowl remains the most bet-on single event in the U.S. each year. While the NCAA's March Madness college basketball tournament has occasionally drawn higher total wagers, it spans multiple games rather than a single matchup.

Read on: Betting probe involving Terry Rozier could put NBA starter's $50 million in salary at risk

-Weston Blasi

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February 04, 2025 13:42 ET (18:42 GMT)

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