The American Gaming Association (AGA) forecasts a record Super Bowl betting handle for the 2022 edition of the game, set for Sunday, Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles. According to the AGA’s press release, Americans are projected to bet in greater numbers than last year.
- 31.4 million bettors are expected to bet on the Super Bowl, up 35% from 2021
- Bettors are expected to wager $7.61 billion, up 78% from 2021
The AGA expects about half (18.2 million) of those 31.4 million bettors to wager through online or retail sportsbooks or with bookies. The AGA expects the other half (18.5 million) to bet casually in workplaces or with family and friends, for example, in Super Bowl squares pools.
The Super Bowl is the single largest annual betting event in the U.S.
States that have launched legal sports betting since last year’s Super Bowl (not necessarily mobile) include Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, meaning 45 million more people can legally wager on this year’s event, per the AGA. That doesn’t even include the millions of New Yorkers who can now bet legally online or via their mobile devices. In all, there is legal sports betting in 30 states plus Washington D.C.
With such a large pool of bettors, it’d be surprising if the Super Bowl didn’t see record betting handle.
Responsible Gaming Remains Central To Sports Betting Messaging
Responsible gaming remains a critical part of the sports betting industry’s initiatives. The AGA’s press release projected that 106 million bettors recall responsible gambling ads, 32 million more than the sample surveyed in 2020.
That so many more people recall responsible gaming advertisements in the past year is important. Awareness is the first step in combating any spread of problem gambling.
The AGA found that 76% of its surveyed bettors found it important to bet through a legal operator. The NFL also partnered with the AGA in its Have A Game Plan – Bet Responsibly campaign, and the league is running a responsible gambling ad during Super Bowl pregame coverage Sunday on NBC. So, awareness should be not be an issue.
However, a consistently low rate of problem gambling leaves an important responsible gaming issue unaddressed. The rate may be low, but the pool of bettors is ever-growing. So, bettors should watch for future initiatives that fund local counseling and Gamblers Anonymous groups.
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