Super Bowl LVI expected to see record 31.4M US bettors and $7.61B handle

American Gaming Association (AGA)'s latest research shows a record 31.4 million American adults plan to bet on Super Bowl LVI, a 35% increase from 2021. Bettors will wager an estimated $7.61 billion on this year’s championship game, to be held Sunday, February 13, up $3.33B (78%) from last year.

According to AGA's release Tuesday, Americans’ betting plans are up across all wagering methods compared to 2021:

• 18.2 million American adults will place traditional sports wagers online, at a retail sportsbook or with a bookie, up 78% from 2021.
• 18.5 million plan to bet casually with friends or as part of a pool or squares contest, up 23% from 2021.
• 76% say it is important for themselves personally to bet through a legal operator, up 11% from 2021.
• 55% of bettors plan to wager on the Los Angeles Rams compared to 45% on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bill Miller, AGA President and CEO, commented: “The results are clear: Americans have never been more interested in legal sports wagering. The growth of legal options across the country not only protects fans and the integrity of games and bets, but also puts illegal operators on notice that their time is limited.”  

Moreover, 106 million American adults (41%) recall advertising related to responsible gaming in the past year—an increase of 32 million people (12%) from 2020. AGA noted that this reflects the sports betting industry’s continued and deepened investment in responsible gaming resources, including through the recently relaunched HaveAGamePlan.org. NFL team partners for this campaign include the Washington Commanders and New York Jets.      

Thirty states and Washington, D.C currently feature live, legal sports betting markets, with three additional legal markets awaiting launch. This means 45 million more Americans can legally wager in their home state compared to Super Bowl LV with Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming launching legal sports betting markets since last year’s big game.