Super Bowl 57 Set To Break Sports Betting Records

The Big Game is about to break some big-time betting records in the U.S.

On the eve of Super Bowl 57, the American Gaming Association has released research that suggests this year’s matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will be a record-breaker in terms of betting handle.

According to a survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the AGA between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 50.4 million American adults - or 20% of the entire population - are expected to bet $16 billion on Super Bowl LVII. This eye-popping statistic is a 61% increase from AGA’s 2022 estimates, and the expected wagering total is more than double last year’s projections. 

The impact of legalization on Super Bowl 57 betting

Super Bowl 57 will be a historic milestone for the sports betting industry for another significant reason: it’s the first NFL title game to be held in a state with an active and functioning legal sports betting marketplace since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2018.

State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. - the site for this year’s game - is home to the BetMGM Sportsbook, the first retail sports betting site to launch on-site of any NFL stadium (though the Fanatics Sportsbook at FedEx Field became the first to launch inside an actual NFL venue when it went live in January).

This will certainly set some precedents given the accessibility and corresponding promotion of the on-site sports betting opportunities available for Super Bowl 57, since the next two Super Bowls will also be played in legal sports betting states (Las Vegas in 2024, and New Orleans in 2025).

Data from the AGA research indicated that more than a third of NFL fans say that the expansion of legal sports betting has made watching an NFL game more exciting overall, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out with both retail sports betting on-site and mobile sports betting available for this year’s contest. 

What Super Bowl 57 betting might look like

According to the AGA research, 30 million American adults plan to place a traditional sports wager online, at a retail sportsbook, or with a bookie, which is up 66% from 2022’s stats. Nearly 30 million also plan to bet casually with friends or as part of a pool or squares contest, which is a 50% increase from 2022.

Should these projections come to fruition, it would be the first time ever that American bettors place more traditional sports wagers with regulated sportsbooks than they do casual betting with friends and family. Breaking those numbers down, the survey reported that:

• 38% will be online 
• 34% will be casually among friends
• 26% will participate in a pool/square contest
• 17% will be in person at a sportsbook
• 13% will bet with a bookie

If these numbrers are accurate, the Super Bowl will mark a major win for the best sportsbooks, with mobile sports betting expected to lead the charge.

Online sports betting in the United States is live in 23 states plus DC, including in Arizona (where 18 sports betting sites operate mobile sportsbooks.) Usual heavy-hitters DraftKings, Caesars, and BetMGM are all popular in the Arizona sports betting landscape, but BetRivers, BetFred, and FanDuel also offer some of the nicest Arizona sports betting promos in the state too. 

The U.S. sports betting industry is maturing

Just under five years since the repeal of PASPA, well over half of all American adults now live in a jurisdiction where sports betting is legal, with 33 states plus Washington, D.C. having active legal marketplaces.

Three more states have legalized sports betting and are preparing to operationalize, while Massachusetts sports betting and Ohio sports betting were two of the most recent markets to launch in 2023.

Super Bowl 56 in 2021 set records for legal wagering, busting records previously set by 2020’s match. With the de facto mecca of American gambling - Las Vegas - set to host the Super Bowl in 2024, the event seems primed to earmark yet another record-breaking year once 2023’s game smashes the milestones set by LVI out of the water.

Only the sports betting gods know what’s in store for the Caesars Superdome to host the Super Bowl in 2025 with another two full calendar years of maturation coming to a rapidly expanding industry.

With all of these numbers in mind, there are strong odds that you, my friend, are happily getting in on the action. Be sure to check out our Best Super Bowl betting promos (U.S. only) from our list of the best Super Bowl betting sites!