Record number of bets expected

The Super Bowl is always one of the most highly anticipated events for sportsbooks and fans, with this year’s event taking place on February 2.

New data suggests that a record number of bets will be placed on Super Bowl LIV when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

26 million Americans are expected to place bets on the NFL’s annual championship game

This will be just the second Super Bowl to take place since the federal ban on sports betting was lifted in May 2018. As many as 26 million Americans are expected to place bets on the NFL’s annual championship game, with the American Gaming Association (AGA) suggesting that a total of $6.8bn will be wagered.

If this estimation is correct, it would be an increase of 15% when compared to the total handle reported for last year’s Super Bowl. 

Moving in the right direction

Bill Miller, CEO and president of the American Gaming Association, has had his say on this year’s Super Bowl betting data. He said: “Americans have never before had so many opportunities to wager on the Super Bowl in a safe and legal manner and clearly, they are getting in on the action.”

Miller went on to explain how there has been a gradual migration of bettors from illegal online betting sites to the licensed options. He also spoke about how this was an exciting trend that was only going to get better.

Breakdown of the data

Of the estimated 26 million Americans expected to bet, about five million of them will be doing so through mobile sportsbooks. This represents an annual increase of 19%. The number of bettors using retail sportsbooks is also expected to increase by 25% over last year’s results.

Expectations are that this year’s renewal will be very closely fought. AGA data shows that 52% of people plan to bet on the Chiefs, with 48% favoring the 49ers. 

Boost for fan engagement

DraftKings has stated that legal sports betting is a boost for the engagement levels of fans who watch sports such as the NFL.

75% of people who bet on NFL games are likely to watch a game

Previous research shows that 75% of people who bet on NFL games are likely to watch a game. It was a good season for the NFL in terms of viewership numbers, with a 5% increase in viewers for the 2019 season.

The NFL is DraftKing’s most popular sports to bet on. In 2019, the sportsbook paid out $11m in New Jersey after the New England Patriots won Super Bowl LII.