Home Show me the money! Super Bowl LVII betting likely to exceed $1 billion
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Show me the money! Super Bowl LVII betting likely to exceed $1 billion

Crystal Graham
football money
(© Scott Maxwell – stock.adobe.com)

While most of us tune into the Super Bowl for entertainment and to watch some fun commercials, a number of adults in the U.S. are paying attention to much more than the game.

From which team wins the coin toss to funnier things like if Rihanna shows cleavage in the halftime show or guessing how many beers will be sold at the stadium in Glendale, Ariz., if you’ve got a little extra money in your pocket, you can get in the action, even if you know nothing about football.

Super Bowl LVII will take place on Sunday with the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles kicking off at 6:30 p.m. on Fox.

A recent survey among U.S. adults reveals that around 54 percent of people plan on placing bets on the game. According to an analysis by SportingPedia, the total amount wagered on the event will easily exceed $1 billion this year.

Key takeaways from the analysis:

  • Nearly 54 percent of adults in the U.S. said they plan to bet on this year’s Super Bowl
  • Around 9.75 percent of people will be wagering between $1 and $25 and another 6.3 percent will be spending up to $50 on Super Bowl bets
  • More than 14 percent of adults plan to wager more than $100 on Super Bowl this year

This is the first Super Bowl hosted by a state with legal sports betting, and fans living and arriving in Arizona right now are expected to significantly boost the total amount of wagers.

Last year, $947 million was spent on bets, making an estimate of $1 billion for 2023 quite conservative.

Some estimates are that sportsbooks across the country could take in up to $16 billion in wagers.

If the projections are realistic, we may see billions of dollars spent across hundreds of sportsbooks in the country.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.