AGA Estimates Record Numbers of Americans Bet on Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas
The American Gaming Association released pre-game estimates ahead of Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024, projecting a record number of Americans would bet on the game — played for the first time in Las Vegas — with the Kansas City Chiefs facing the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium.
Key Takeaways
- Super Bowl LVIII was played February 11, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas — the first Super Bowl hosted in Las Vegas
- Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime
- The AGA projected a record number of Americans would bet on Super Bowl LVIII
- More than 35 US states and DC had active licensed sports betting markets for Super Bowl LVIII
- Las Vegas hosting the Super Bowl created a unique convergence of in-person and legal mobile betting activity
- Super Bowl LVIII was expected to generate the largest single-game legal sports betting handle in US history at the time
Why It Matters — Players
Why It Matters — Operators
The American Gaming Association released its annual pre-Super Bowl betting survey ahead of Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024, projecting a record number of Americans planned to wager on the game — the first Super Bowl to be hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada, creating a unique event where the world's biggest sports betting occasion was held in the US's most iconic gambling destination.
The Game
Super Bowl LVIII matched the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada (adjacent to Las Vegas). The Chiefs — who had won Super Bowl LVII the previous year — were playing in their fourth Super Bowl in five seasons under quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The 49ers, led by quarterback Brock Purdy, were making their first Super Bowl appearance since Super Bowl LIV (February 2020). The game was decided in overtime, with the Chiefs winning 25-22.
A Historic Betting Event
More than 35 US states and Washington D.C. had active licensed sports betting markets by February 2024, compared to 33 states for Super Bowl LVII the previous year. The continued expansion of legal sports betting meant a larger proportion of American bettors had access to licensed regulated sportsbooks than at any previous Super Bowl. The AGA's survey projected a record number of Americans planned to bet on the game through some form of wagering — including licensed sportsbooks, informal pools, and offline channels.
Las Vegas as Host City
Super Bowl LVIII's Las Vegas setting created an unprecedented convergence: the largest betting event in the US sporting calendar, hosted in a city where visiting fans could place bets in person at casino sportsbooks, through licensed Nevada mobile apps, and through licensed apps in their home states. Las Vegas casinos and sportsbooks invested heavily in Super Bowl viewing and wagering experiences for the tens of thousands of fans who travelled to Nevada for the game.
Context: Legal Betting Market Growth
Super Bowl LVIII illustrated how dramatically the US legal sports betting landscape had changed since the Supreme Court's PASPA ruling in May 2018. The progression from roughly three licensed states in 2018 to 35+ in 2024 meant that what had been primarily an illegal wagering event six years earlier was now predominantly captured by licensed, regulated sportsbooks.
- Source:
- American Gaming Association
- Published:
- February 9, 2024
- Original Article:
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