This weekend’s Super Bowl LVI is in line to become the most heavily bet sporting event ever, with an estimated $7.61 billion potentially at stake.
An estimated 31.4 million American adults plan to bet on Sunday’s game at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium between the Cincinnati Bengals and favorite Los Angeles Rams.
Both the amount wagered and the number of bettors are records.
“The results are clear: Americans have never been more interested in legal sports wagering,” Bill Miller, president of the AGA, said.
Washington, D.C., and 30 states now have legal sports betting markets, which, of course, plays a role in potentially setting the record. Ten states have legalized betting since last year’s Super Bowl.
The gambling industry in the U.S. accepted nearly $60 billion in wagers in 2021, generating more than $4.29 billion in taxable revenue.
For decades, the four major sports leagues in the country kept their distance from gambling—as they felt it could possibly impact the integrity of the games. Rampant litigation eventually led to the legalization of sports betting.
Want to see how your bets do live? Grab a ticket for the big game.
