Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals is expected to generate $1 billion in legal wagers, according to PlayUSA.com.
The company’s projections would put this year’s handle at roughly double last year’s total, which topped an estimated $500 million.
“One billion in legal wagering on a single game would be an impressive milestone for the industry,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayUSA.com. “It would have seemed impossible just a few years ago to reach such heights, but with the expansion of sports betting over the last year it is inevitable that legal wagering will soar.”
While the Super Bowl is the most wagered-on single sporting event, the projections are a reflection of the proliferation of legal sports betting in the U.S. When kickoff of Super Bowl LVI comes Feb. 13, sports betting will be legal in 30 states and Washington, D.C., a reach of 166.9 million people.
There were 21 states where sports betting was legal at last year’s Super Bowl.
“The sports betting landscape has changed dramatically since last year’s game,” said Eric Ramsey, data analyst for PlayUSA. “More than half of all Americans now live in a legal jurisdiction, and even well-established markets such as New Jersey and Nevada have grown significantly over the last year as mobile betting gains in popularity.”
–Field Level Media
