Key Takeaways
- Americans are expected to legally wager $1.39 billion on Super Bowl LIX, according to the American Gaming Association.
- In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court granted states the ability to regulate sports betting, and 38 states and the District of Columbia now allow it.
- According to the think tank the Tax Foundation, U.S. legal sports betting set a record in 2023 with more than $100 billion wagered, and states collected $1.8 billion in tax revenue.
More than 115 million people are expected to watch Sunday’s Super Bowl. Many of them will have more than just a passing interest on the outcome.
Americans adults are expected to legally wager $1.39 billion on Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, “highlighting the continued expansion and enthusiasm around the legal sports betting market,” according to the American Gaming Association.
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, giving states the ability to regulate sports betting. Now 38 states and the District of Columbia allow sports betting, and “operators have so far combined to generate close to $40 billion of lifetime gross revenue from more than $450 billion in total handle,” Legal Sports Report reported earlier this week.
“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,” AGA CEO Bill Miller said. “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.”
According to the Tax Foundation think tank, U.S. legal sports betting set a record in 2023 with more than $100 billion wagered, and states collected $1.8 billion in tax revenue, with New York alone generating more than $800 million.
Legal Bets Are Only a Fraction of Total Wagers on Super Bowl
This year’s AGA estimate on Super Bowl betting is its first solely based on legal wagers. Last year’s report, for example, projected $23.1 billion in bets on the game between the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, but included bets outside legal U.S. sportsbook platforms, such as with a bookie, or “in a pool or squares contest, or casually with family or friends.”
“With years of legal operations in several U.S. states, the AGA now analyzes historical revenue data and other trends to develop a legal wager estimate for major U.S. sports betting moments,” it said.