AMERICAN GAMING ASSOCIATION
Super Betting
50 million Americans wagered more than $ 16 billion on the big game
BY DAVE FORMAN
Editor ’ s Note : This article was first published as a GGB News Special Report on February 10 , 2023 , two days before the Super Bowl .
With Super Bowl LVII around the corner , football fans across America geared up to place their bets on the big game . According to new American Gaming Association ( AGA ) research , a record 50 million Americans planned to bet a collective $ 16 billion on the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles .
This year ’ s Super Bowl , hosted in Arizona , was the first to be played in a state with legal sports wagering . 2023 also is the first year in which more than half of American adults ( 57 percent ) have access to legal sportsbooks in their home state .
With the expansion of legal wagering , traditional Super Bowl bettors were expected to exceed casual bettors for the first time ever . Thirty million American adults planned to place a traditional sports wager online , at a retail sportsbook or with a bookie ( up 66 percent from 2022 ), while 28 million planned to bet casually with friends or as part of a pool or squares contest ( up 50 percent from 2022 )— and of course , many did both .
These figures tell a familiar story : Americans want legal betting options and are taking advantage of the protections of the regulated market when they are available . Seven in 10 adults who planned to bet on Super Bowl LVII said it is important that they place bets only through legal , licensed operators , and that number rises to 74 percent among adults in legal sports betting states .
Legal wagering also continues to drive fan engagement with leagues , teams and media properties : more than a third ( 34 percent ) of NFL fans say that the expansion of legal wa-
Seven in 10 adults who planned to bet on Super
Bowl LVII said it is important that they place bets only through legal , licensed operators , and that number rises to 74 percent among adults in legal sports betting states .
gering has made watching an NFL game more exciting .
As the legal market grows , everyone involved in the sports betting ecosystem must maintain their commitment to providing consumers with the knowledge and tools to bet responsibly . The AGA is helping lead these efforts through our Have a Game Plan . Bet Responsibly campaign , which is bringing together the broader sports betting industry — including NFL team partners Washington Commanders and New York Jets — around responsible gaming education and messaging .
Importantly , the industry ’ s education efforts continue to resonate :
• The overwhelming majority of traditional Super Bowl bettors ( 71 percent ) report seeing a responsible gaming message in the last year .
• Importantly , younger Americans ( under 35 years old ) are more likely to recall seeing a responsible gaming message and younger bettors are more likely to say it is important to
only wager legally .
By doubling down on our investments in responsibility , we will continue to build a safe , sustainable product that doesn ’ t repeat the mistakes that have impeded the long-term health of some overseas markets .
Find more Super Bowl LVII wagering trends below :
• Bettors were evenly split on the outcome of the game with 44 percent each planning to bet on the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs .
• Eagles and Chiefs fans were equally likely to bet this year : about one-third of each fanbase said they were wagering on the game .
• More women ( 11 percent ) said they were betting this year compared to last year ( 7 percent ).
• Gen Z and millennials were nearly twice as likely to bet as Gen X and three times as likely as boomers .
Dave Forman is vice president of research for the American Gaming Association .
10 Global Gaming Business MARCH 2023