With 38 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico now offering legal sports betting, more Americans than ever are projected to bet on the biggest wagering event of the year.
Legal American sportsbooks could take an estimated $1.39 billion in bets for Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, according to an annual report from the American Gaming Association (AGA).
“No single event unites sports fans like the Super Bowl, and that excitement extends to sports betting, with this year’s record legal handle reflecting its widespread appeal,” AGA president and CEO Bill Miller said in a statement. “This figure underscores the positive impact of the legal market — from protecting consumers to generating tax revenue that benefits communities across the country — while enhancing the game experience for all.”
The number represents an uptick from the estimated $1.25 billion placed with legal books for Super Bowl LVIII, per research from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming last year.
AGA’s 2025 report differs from those in previous years, which estimated the total amount bet from both legal and other channels, including illegal sportsbooks, pools, squares and casual wagers among friends. AGA estimated $23.1 billion to be bet for Super Bowl LVIII based on that methodology.
The gambling industry association decided to shift its focus to reflect the expanding legal sports betting industry by analyzing “historical revenue data and other trends to develop a legal wager estimate,” per the 2025 release.
Since the last Super Bowl, only one new state has gone live with legal online sports betting: North Carolina. Missouri, the state that the Chiefs call home, legalized sports betting in November but is not expected to go live until summer 2025.
Football bettors will look to keep up positive momentum going into the biggest game of the year. In late January, the state of Nevada reported that its sportsbooks took a $5.3 million loss on NFL and college football bets in December 2024 — their biggest loss on football since November 2012 and a rare win for bettors.