More than 50 million people are expected to bet a total of $16 billion as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs.
A record number of people in the United States are expected to bet on the upcoming Super Bowl game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, highlighting the expansion of legal sports betting across the US.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimated on Tuesday that more than 50 million people – about 20 percent of the US population – will bet on Sunday’s game, for a total of about $16 billion.
The figure represents legal bets as well as random bets between friends and those placed illegally with bookies.
“Each year, the Super Bowl serves to highlight the benefits of legal sports betting: bookmakers move to protect the regulated market, leagues and sports media see increased engagement, and legal operators direct needed tax revenue to states across the country. “, said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the association.
The AGA estimated that the number of people in the U.S. planning to bet on the game surged 61 percent compared to last year, and the $16 billion total was also double the previous year’s total.
This increase can be attributed in part to the growing expansion of legalized sports betting in the US, where more than half of all adults now live in an area where the practice is legal, including 33 states and the capital Washington, DC.
According to the AGA, people in the US placed nearly $58 billion in sports betting in 2021, double the amount recorded the year before.
The championship game of the National Football League (NFL) between the Eagles and the Chiefs will take place in the city of Glendale in the western state of Arizona. This is the first time the Super Bowl has been held in an American state where sports betting is legal.
An AGA survey found bettors were evenly split ahead of the game, with 44 percent backing Kansas City and an identical percentage betting on Philadelphia. The remaining 12 percent were undecided.
The Eagles were 1.5-point favorites Monday night on FanDuel, the official odds provider for the Associated Press.
Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is battling an ankle injury, the Chiefs enter the championship game after beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in a late game on Jan. 29.
The Eagles easily secured a spot in the Super Bowl with a 31-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC Championship game.
In an interesting twist, Sunday’s game will also mark the first time the two brothers have played against each other in the Super Bowl, as Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles center Jason Kelce hope to help their respective teams to victory.
“This is a special moment,” said Travis, who helped Kansas City win the championship three years ago. “It’s something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives, obviously.”
In last year’s Super Bowl, a thrilling touchdown in the final 90 seconds gave the Los Angeles Rams a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.