Americans Set to Bet $1.76 Billion on Super Bowl

The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will set a new record for betting. The AGA estimates a record $1.76 billion legally wagered, reflecting the continued growth and strength of the legal, state- and tribal-regulated sports betting market.

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

A new AGA study shows that prediction markets are confusing consumers by promoting sports betting as an investment rather than entertainment, underscoring concerns about how these products are marketed and their lack of responsible gaming tools. 

Confusion Around Regulatory Oversight 

The new record comes as bettors are increasingly confused about prediction market platforms offering sports wagering-like options. The AGA reported 78% of sports event contract bettors believe state regulators could assist in resolving disputes on their platforms, even though prediction markets operate entirely outside state sports betting regulatory frameworks.

These findings underscore widespread confusion among sports event contract users on the regulatory oversight governing prediction markets.

The AGA found that sports event contract bettors are three times more likely than sportsbook bettors to view their trading as an investment. The association reported that 28% of sports event contract bettors describe their activity as investing, compared to 9% of sportsbook users. The AGA also found that:

• 31% of sports event contract bettors report encountering trading or investing comparisons in platform messaging, versus 7% among sportsbook users.
• 25% of sports event contract bettors report funding activity from their investment budget, compared to only 9% of sportsbook users.
• Though more than a quarter of sports event contract bettors believe they are investing, most sports event contract users (58%) still view the activity as gambling, suggesting at least some users distinguish between platform messaging and underlying risk.

Responsible Gaming Options

On the responsible gaming front, only 28% of sports event contract bettors say responsible gaming tools are easy to find on these platforms. By contrast, 58% of sportsbook users reported easily identifying these tools on sportsbook platforms, according to the AGA.

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

As of Monday, the Seahawks remained a 4.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel, with the over/under set at 46.5.