31 million Americans to bet on Super Bowl, gambling group posits

A record 31.5 million Americans plan to bet on this year’s Super Bowl, according to estimates released Tuesday by the gambling industry’s national trade group. The American Gaming Association forecasts that over $7.6 billion will be wagered on the game Sunday.

Both the amount of people planning to bet (up 35% from last year) and the estimated amount of money bet (up 78% from last year) are new highs. Bettors include people making casual wagers with friends or relatives, entries into office pools, wagers with licensed sportsbooks, and bets with illegal bookmakers. “Americans have never been more interested in legal sports wagering,” said Bill Miller, the group’s president and CEO. “The growth of legal options across the country ... puts illegal operators on notice that their time is limited.”

When the Rams and Bengals begin the game, 30 states plus Washington, D.C., will offer legal gambling. Since last year’s game, 45 million additional people will be able to bet on the Super Bowl because their states legalized sports betting: Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The Super Bowl is one of the most perilous times of year for people with a gambling problem. Harry Levant, an official with the group Stop Predatory Gambling, said legal betting is increasing problem gambling. Levant said the rise of in-game betting feeds into a gambler’s desire for more and faster opportunities to bet.

There is a national help line for people with a gambling problem: 1-800-GAMBLER.