Betting on this year's Super Bowl looks like it reached record-setting proportions, as the Big Game continues to draw big interest from both casual sports fans and experienced gamblers.
Vancouver-based GeoComply Solutions Inc. reported Sunday night that there were more than 80.1 million geolocation transactions this past weekend, more than double what was recorded in 2021.
GeoComply, a company that helps confirm where bettors are, also noted that about 5.6 million unique accounts logged on to legal online sportsbooks, which was a 95% jump from last year.
Even the most mature of betting markets saw growth, as the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported on Monday that a record $179.8 million was wagered in the state's 179 sportsbooks for this year's Super Bowl.
The early word from operators was that they handled a historically large amount of bets as well.
“BetMGM had a challenging start to the Super Bowl with [Los Angeles Rams wide receiver] Odell Beckham Jr. scoring the first touchdown and unfavorable results in the first quarter and first half,” said Jason Scott, vice president of trading for BetMGM, in a statement. “That said, the second half went the book’s way. We dodged a bullet with the Rams winning in regulation as overtime would have been the worst possible result in what was the most bet on Super Bowl ever.”
#SuperBowlLVI stat round up:
— GeoComply (@GeoComply) February 14, 2022
•More than 80.1 million geolocation transactions over the weekend. A 2.26x increase from Super Bowl weekend last year!
•Approximately 5.6 million unique accounts accessed legal online sportsbooks this weekend. A 95% increase from last year! pic.twitter.com/JivlCuh66o
The growth in Super Bowl wagering can be chalked up to the steady spread of legal sports betting, the seemingly endless supply of props (the result of the opening coin toss was heads, by the way), and the popularity of the NFL among fans and gamblers.
Caesars Sportsbook said their volume for the National Football League's championship game this year was the most they’d ever seen, both in Nevada and across the United States. The bookmaker also chalked up some of that increase to the rising popularity of prop bets.
None of this was entirely unexpected, though. Research released by the American Gaming Association before the game estimated that a record 31.4 million American adults were planning to bet on Super Bowl LVI, a 35% rise compared to Super Bowl LV. Bettors were projected to wager $7.61 billion on the game as well, which was a 78% increase over last year’s prediction.
Canadian sportsbooks were expecting a similar surge in Super Bowl betting. That was due in part to federal lawmakers passing a bill last year that allows provinces to offer single-game sports wagering, instead of the country’s previously parlay-heavy model. PlayNow.com, the online sportsbook of the British Columbia Lottery Corp., was anticipating double the betting haul this Super Bowl, or more than $2 million in handle.
Plenty more to come
There is also a decent chance that the pot of money plunked down on the Big Game is even larger next year. States such as Maryland and Ohio are expected to launch legal online sports betting this year, while the Canadian province of Ontario is due to open a new iGaming market in April.
“The results are clear: Americans have never been more interested in legal sports wagering,” said Bill Miller, president and chief executive officer of the AGA, in a press release last week. “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.”
