AGA: One in four American adults expected to wager on Super Bowl
Gambling trade group projecting record $23.1bn in total bets from nearly 68 million US adults on the Big Game
The Super Bowl has long been an American tradition which, combined with the near ubiquity of regulated sports betting across the US in 2024, is set to result in record-smashing wagering figures for Super Bowl LVIII, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).
Per a new survey from the prominent US gambling trade group, a record 67.8 million American adults – more than one in four – are expected to wager a combined $23.1bn on the showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers that is doubling as the first-ever Super Bowl staged in the gaming mecca of Las Vegas.
Last year, the AGA projected 50.4 million adults would wager a total of $16bn on the Big Game, with this year’s estimates representing increases of 35% and 44.3%, respectively, from those figures.
Betting activity is expected to be diversified among the nearly 68 million participants, with online bets (46%) and casual wagers with friends (36%) at the top of the list.
Betting pools or Squares competitions follow at 24%, while betting with a bookie (14%) and wagering at a physical sportsbook (11%) will also be prevalent.
“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,” said AGA president and CEO Bill Miller.
“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.”
The AGA’s survey data reflects Miller’s underscoring of the benefits of the regulated market, as 75% of projected Super Bowl bettors report having seen responsible gambling messaging in the last year. And among all US adults, 47% indicated the same.
Sports betting is currently legal in 38 states and Washington DC – including 30 jurisdictions with some form of online wagering – while an additional four states have active legislation on the table in 2024.