Jan 30 (Reuters) – A record $1.76 billion will be legally wagered in the United States on next week’s Super Bowl match-up between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, the American Gaming Association said on Friday.
The trade group representing the U.S. casino industry said the figure, a nearly 27% year-over-year increase, reflects the continued growth and strength of the legal, state- and tribal-regulated sports betting market.
“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 news release.
“By choosing legal, regulated sportsbooks, fans are having fun while supporting a safe and responsible market.”
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports betting. Since the ruling, 38 states and the District of Columbia have now legalized sports betting in some form.
Earlier this week an analysis released by Legal Sports Report, in partnership with the Sports Betting Alliance, forecast that $1.71 billion will be legally wagered in the United States on the Super Bowl.
The NFL’s championship game creates an annual betting bonanza and this year’s edition will be played on February 8 in Santa Clara, California.
The Seahawks, headed back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2015, are favored to beat a Patriots team seeking a record seventh championship and first since 2019.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Toby Davis)
