The American Gaming Association (AGA) expects U.S. bettors to legally wager $1.76 billion on Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.
The gambling industry's leading trade group released its record estimate on Friday, citing the “continued growth and strength” of legal sportsbooks.
Key Takeaways
- The new estimate is up 26.6% from last year’s projection.
- The AGA warned users about prediction platforms, which it said were misleading and not as safe.
- Active online sportsbook accounts increased 14% during the last Super Bowl weekend compared to the year before.
The AGA projected a $1.39-billion handle before last year’s Big Game. The updated $1.76-billion estimate means that the group is expecting 26.6% more money to be wagered.
Illegal sports betting totals and prediction platforms were not included in the projections.
“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 gaudy forecast comes despite a sharp deviation from the NFL’s mainstream. This is the first Super Bowl without the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, or Los Angeles Rams since 2016.
The Seahawks and Patriots also began the year with Super Bowl odds of +6,000 and +8,000, respectively, making it the most unlikely championship matchup on record.
The only Super Bowl champion with longer preseason odds than either of these teams was the 1999 St. Louis Rams, who opened at +15,000.
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Wary of prediction platforms
While the AGA’s press release was headlined by its Super Bowl projections, it also included disparaging comments about prediction platforms.
Prediction platforms recently emerged as an alternative to sports betting with their event contracts. Rather than customers wagering on betting odds set by the house, they can buy and sell contracts associated with different outcomes based on a price determined by the platforms’ customer base.
Without naming any operators, the AGA said that a new study showed consumers were confused by prediction platforms that marketed sports contracts as investment rather than entertainment. The research revealed that sports event contract users were three times more likely than sportsbook bettors to describe their endeavors as an investment, instead of betting.
It continued to say that there are concerns over their lack of transparency in marketing and the absence of responsible gaming tools. Only 28% of prediction platform users said that responsible gaming tools were easy to locate, compared to 58% of sportsbook customers.
“This research reinforces why state- and tribal-regulated sportsbooks are critical, offering strong oversight and consumer protections that prediction markets simply do not match,” added Miller.
A growing consumer base
The upcoming Super Bowl will be the first in which sports betting is legal in 39 states, thanks to Missouri’s launch on Dec. 1, 2025. Sadly for them, the Chiefs won’t be in the Big Game to celebrate.
Growth is also expected in states that legalized long before Missouri. Geo-tracking company GeoComply noted a 14% increase in active online sportsbook player accounts during Super Bowl weekend last year compared to the year before.
Growth was, on average, twice as high in states where regulators took legal action against offshore sportsbooks.
