AGA projects record $1.76 billion in Super Bowl LX bets

Americans are expected to legally wager a record $1.76 billion on Super Bowl LX, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).

The figure would mark a nearly 27% year-over-year increase and includes only wagers with U.S. legal sportsbooks, which operate in 39 states and the District of Columbia. The AGA used publicly reported numbers from state gaming regulators to create its estimate.

“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 Bill Miller, AGA President and CEO. “By choosing legal, regulated sportsbooks, fans are having fun while supporting a safe and responsible market.”

Earlier this week, the Sports Betting Alliance  (SBA), in partnership with gaming industry outlet Legal Sports Report, also released its own estimate, predicting about $1.71 billion to be wagered on the big game. The SBA represents many of the largest online sportsbook operators in the U.S., including bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics Sportsbook, and FanDuel.

However, some analysts believe betting interest in the Super Bowl will drop this year. Jordan Bender, an equity research analyst at Citizens, estimates Super Bowl betting at U.S. sportsbooks will drop 2% year-over-year, driven by a less storyline-driven match and the rise of prediction markets putting pressure on the legal market.

At the same time, the AGA released new research cautioning that prediction markets may be confusing consumers by framing sports betting "as an investment rather than entertainment, underscoring concerns about how these products are marketed and their lack of responsible gaming tools."

The study found that 78% of sports event contract bettors believe state regulators could resolve disputes on their platforms, even though prediction markets operate outside state sports betting regulatory systems.

AGA reported that users of sports event contracts are significantly more likely than traditional sportsbook customers to view their activity as investing rather than gambling. About 28% of prediction-market bettors described their participation as an investment, compared with 9% of sportsbook users.

Additional findings showed that 31% of sports event contract bettors said platform messaging compared trading activity to investing, versus 7% among sportsbook users, while 25% reported funding wagers from their investment budgets compared with 9% of sportsbook customers. Despite those perceptions, 58% of sports event contract users still characterized the activity as gambling, suggesting many remain skeptical of investment-style marketing.

Consumer safeguards were another concern. Only 28% of sports event contract bettors said responsible gaming tools were easy to find, compared with 58% of sportsbook customers.

“This research reinforces why state- and tribal-regulated sportsbooks are critical, offering strong oversight and consumer protections that prediction markets simply do not match,” said Miller.