The estimate, released by the AGA, represents a nearly 27% year-on-year increase and highlights the growing integration of sports betting into major sporting events under state- and tribal-regulated frameworks. The trade group, which represents the U.S. casino industry, pointed to strong consumer engagement and rising confidence in legal sportsbooks as key drivers behind the projected surge.

Super Bowl drives regulated betting growth

“No single event brings fans together like the Super Bowl, and this record figure shows just how much Americans enjoy sports betting as part of the experience,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “By choosing legal, regulated sportsbooks, fans are having fun while supporting a safe and responsible market.”

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, the market has expanded rapidly. Sports wagering is now legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia in some form, providing a broad and increasingly standardized regulatory landscape for operators and consumers alike.

The AGA’s projection aligns closely with an independent forecast published earlier this week by Legal Sports Report in partnership with the Sports Betting Alliance, which estimated that $1.71 billion would be legally wagered on the Super Bowl.

Championship matchup fuels annual betting peak

The NFL’s championship game remains the single largest betting event of the year in the United States. This season’s Super Bowl will be played on February 8 in Santa Clara, California, featuring the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots.

The Seahawks are returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2015 and enter the matchup as favorites against a Patriots team aiming for a record seventh championship and its first title since 2019. The high-profile showdown is expected to further amplify betting activity, reinforcing the Super Bowl’s role as a cornerstone event for the regulated U.S. sports betting industry.