Americans will wager $23.10bn (£18.39bn/€21.52bn) on this weekend’s Super Bowl LVIII NFL end-of-season showpiece, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).
The San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on 11 February at Nevada’s Allegiant Stadium. Ahead of the game, the AGA surveyed 2,204 adults to predict wagering activity.
Findings from the survey suggest $16.0bn more will be bet on Super Bowl LVIII than last year’s game. The AGA also said a record 67.8 million people are expected to place a wager, up 35.0% from Super Bowl LVII.
Of those expected to wager, 42.7 million will do so online, at a retail sportsbook or with a bookmaker. This would be 41.0% more than in the previous year. Some 36.5 million plan to bet casually with friends or via a pool or squares contest, a rise of 32.0%.
As to where players will bet, 28.7 million, or 11.0% of all bettors, will do so with a licensed online sportsbook. The AGA said this shows Americans are continuing to migrate to the legal market.
Responsible betting awareness increases ahead of Super Bowl
Other key findings include an increase in awareness of responsible gambling among those who plan to bet.
The AGA survey found 75.0% of traditional Super Bowl bettors report seeing a responsible gambling message in the last year. This is up from 71.0% in the previous year.
In addition, 47.0% of all American adults heard or saw responsible gambling messaging in the past year, compared to 40.0% in 2023.
“As the Super Bowl comes to Las Vegas for the first time, this year’s record interest in wagering marks a full circle moment for the US gaming industry,” AGA president and CEO Bill Miller said.
“Our priority remains getting this opportunity right by providing the consumer protections only a regulated market can guarantee and investing in responsible gambling tools, safeguards and education.”
As to who bettors are backing, 47.0% plan to wager on the Chiefs and 44.0% the 49ers.