Super Bowl LVI Wagering Estimates
31.4 Million Americans Plan to Bet More than $7.6 Billion on the Game
Super Bowl LVI Wagering Estimates
31.4 million American adults plan to bet a combined $7.61 billion on the Super Bowl LVI matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, according to American Gaming Association research. This includes 18 percent of Super Bowl viewers.
The number of Americans who plan to bet is an increase of 35 percent from 2021 and traditional sports betting will nearly surpass casual betting activity this year:
- 18.2 million American adults will place traditional sports wagers online, at a retail sportsbook or with a bookie, up 78 percent from 2021.
- 18.5 million plan to bet casually with friends or as part of a pool or squares contest, up 23 percent from 2021.
The expansion of legal and online sports betting is expected to lead to significant growth in participation across traditional wagering methods compared to 2021:
- 12.9 million people plan to place a bet online this year, up 70 percent from 2021.
- 4.7 million people plan to place a bet in person at a sportsbook, up 231 percent from 2021.
Bettors slightly favor the Rams, with 55 percent saying they expect to bet on them to win, compared to 45 percent on the Bengals. Few people saw this matchup coming: according to AGA research on betting plans going into the season, just one percent of expected bettors said they would wager on the Bengals to win the Super Bowl and just two percent would have picked the Rams five months ago.
The Northeast has the highest expected betting participation (16%), followed by the West (15%), the Midwest (10%) and the South (10%). While legal sports betting is not available in either California or Ohio, more Rams fans (26%) than Bengals fans (22%) plan to bet on the game.
Most bettors (76%) say it is important to bet through a legal operator, up 11 points from 2021 and reflecting the importance of meeting consumers where they are and providing legal alternatives to offshore books.
“The results are clear: Americans have never been more interested in legal sports wagering. The growth of legal options across the country not only protects fans and the integrity of games and bets, but also puts illegal operators on notice that their time is limited.” – Bill Miller, AGA President and CEO
Importantly, 106 million (41%) recall seeing or hearing advertising related to responsible gaming in the past year—an increase of 32 million people (12%) from 2020. This reflects the sports betting industry’s continued and deepened investment in responsible gaming resources, including through the recently relaunched HaveAGamePlan.org.
Background
- 30 states and Washington, D.C currently feature live, legal sports betting markets, with three additional legal markets awaiting launch.
- 45 million more Americans can legally wager on this year’s game in their home state compared to 2021, with Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming going live in the past year.
- AGA’s Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly™ campaign is bringing sports betting stakeholders together to promote responsible gaming. NFL team partners include the Washington Commanders and New York Jets.
Methodology
Morning Consult conducted the online survey on behalf of the AGA between Feb. 1-2, 2022, among a national sample of 2,212 adults. The data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. The margin of error is +/-2 percent and greater among subgroups. Bettors include those who expect to place a bet online, with a bookie, with a casino sportsbook, in a pool or squares contest, or casually with family or friends.