Super Bowl LX is game on for legal sports betting, with a record of over $1.7 billion expected to be wagered on the February 8 matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The American Gaming Association announced its $1.76 billion forecast Friday, which includes wagers placed through state and tribal-regulated sportsbooks, both in casinos and online. This represents a 26.6 percent increase over last year’s $1.39 billion legal handle.
The AGA’s estimate does not include bets placed on prediction-market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which are regulated federally rather than by the states, Bloomberg reports. Legal sports betting has now expanded to 39 states and Washington D.C., fueling continued growth.
Other projections vary slightly. A joint analysis, by the Sports Betting Alliance and Legal Sports Report, released earlier this week put the Super Bowl betting handle at $1.71 billion, while market researcher Eilers & Krejcik Gaming estimates $1.6 billion, a 10 percent increase from last year, but still a record.
“No single event brings fans together like the Super Bowl, and this record figure shows just how much Americans enjoy sports betting as part of the experience,” Bill Miller, AGA President and CEO, said in a statement. “By choosing legal, regulated sportsbooks, fans are having fun while supporting a safe and responsible market.”
The AGA research also shows that 28 percent of prediction market users view their activity as investing rather than gambling, compared with just 9 percent of traditional sportsbook bettors.
Other differences include 31 percent of prediction market users reporting exposure to trading-as-investing messaging, versus 7 percent of sportsbook users, and 25 percent funding wagers from investment budgets, compared with 9 percent of sportsbook users.
Access to responsible gaming tools is also limited on prediction-market platforms. Only 28 percent of users said such tools were easy to find, compared with 58 percent of sportsbook users.
Bettors are not just wagering on scores and player stats this year. While most off-beat prop bets are not available on regulated U.S. sportsbooks, some can be found in Ontario, Canada or on offshore, unregulated platforms.
One example is betting on non‑football aspects tied to the broadcast itself, such as which Bay Area landmark is shown first on TV – the Golden Gate Bridge or Alcatraz Island; or whether a famous song like “Sweet Caroline” will play during the telecast.
Other odd wagers include the length of the national anthem performance, whether a player or coach cries during the anthem and the color of the Gatorade poured on the winning coach after the game.
Even more unconventional bets, sometimes only available in online markets, cover quirky on‑field scenarios like whether there will be a safety, if there’s a two‑point conversion attempt, or bizarre combinations like an “octopus,” which involves a player scoring both a touchdown and the subsequent two‑point conversion.