Superbowl betting predicted to surge

The American Gaming Association (AGA) expects around US$1.76 billion to be wagered through legal means on Monday’s NFL Superbowl.

The clash between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots is expected to generate massive interest for bettors with the United States’ legal sports bookmakers, with the prediction up 26.6% from last year’s projection.

“No single event brings fans together like the Super Bowl, and this record figure shows just how much Americans enjoy sports betting as part of the experience,” AGA president and CEO Bill Miller said in a press release.

“By choosing legal, regulated sportsbooks, fans are having fun while supporting a safe and responsible market.”

The AGA’s estimate comes despite the absence of the teams which generate the greatest betting interest, such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams.

That estimate does not include prediction markets, which have grown massively in the past 12 months.

As of Friday, there was US$170 million of trading already on prediction platform Kalshi on the outcome of the game alone.

It has also been confirmed that the first NFL game in Australia will be held later this year at the MCG between the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.