SUPER BOWL LVIII
Crazy Super Bowl bets: Gamblers betting millions on the 49ers - Chiefs game in Las Vegas
There is a serious amount of money going around from fans ahead of the Super Bowl: here’s a look at just how much.
In the USA, the gambling capital of the world, it couldn’t be any different.
In a week in which records are being broken due to the high cost of tickets for the big game and with, as Donna Kelce herself said, suites being rented for millions of dollars, Super Bowl LVIII will reach figures never seen before in betting.
According to figures released by the American Gaming Association (AGA), 67.8 million Americans are expected to place a bet on Sunday’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, 35 percent more people than in 2023.
How much money do Americans bet on the Super Bowl?
In the report released midweek, it is estimated that $23.1 billion is at stake, surpassing the $16 billion that was bet on last year’s Super Bowl LVII, which the Chiefs won against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The legalisation of gambling in almost all the United States and the Las Vegas brand are causing the figures to be exceeded for the second consecutive year. And then there’s the $215 million that is set to be spent on food and beverages, hotel rooms and game-related merchandise...
Crazy betting stats:
- 42.7 million U.S. adults plan to place a traditional sports bet online, at a retail bookmaker or with a bookmaker, up 41 percent from 2023.
- 36.5 million plan to bet casually with friends or as part of a betting pool, up 32 percent from 2023.
Once a sports desert, Las Vegas has grown to become one of the most popular sports markets in the country, expanding its idiosyncrasies in favour of sports betting.
“As the Super Bowl comes to Las Vegas for the first time, this year’s record-breaking interest in gambling marks a coming full circle moment for the U.S. gaming industry,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller.
“Our priority remains to seize this opportunity by providing the consumer protection that only a regulated marketplace can guarantee and by investing in tools, safeguards and education about responsible gaming.”Currently 38 states and Washington, DC have legal, live sports betting markets. More than two-thirds of U.S. adults (67 percent, 164 million) live in a legal sports betting market.
Almost unbelievably, ESPN reported that “in the first week since the matchup was set, there was at least one million-dollar bet, a six-figure wager on the coin flip” and “a bettor with DraftKings reportedly put $25,000 on Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco to be named Super Bowl MVP. At 40-1, the bet would pay $1 million.” Another “grabbed the 49ers moneyline at -120 with a $600,000 bet that will net $500,000 with a San Francisco victory”.