1 in 4 Americans Expected to Bet on the Super Bowl

Nearly 68 million American adults—about 1 in 4—plan to bet on this year's Super Bowl, setting a record by a wide margin, according to the gambling industry's national trade association. Figures released Tuesday by the American Gaming Association include bets placed with legal outlets, as well as with illegal bookies and online operations in other countries, per the AP. The volume of betting participation is projected to be 35% higher than last year, which was the previous record.

"There's a good chance that every Super Bowl for the next 10 or so years will be the most bet Super Bowl thanks to the underlying growth of regulated sports betting in the US," said analyst Chris Grove of research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. Sports betting is legal in 38 states plus Washington, DC. Bettors plan to wager an estimated $23.1 billion on this year's Super Bowl, up from $16 billion last year, the AGA predicted. Of that, about $1.5 billion is projected to be bet with legal outlets. That's in the same ballpark as the $1.25 billion in legal bets projected by Eilers & Krejcik. About 10% to 15% of legal bets will be made live after the game already has begun, the company predicted.

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