Super Bowl 60 will break the $1.7 billion barrier in legal betting
A joint report by Legal Sports Report and the Sports Betting Alliance projects a historic revenue for the matchup between the Patriots and the Seahawks. The figure represents an exponential leap compared to the US$ 158 million in 2018, consolidating the victory of the regulated model over the offshore market.
On February 8, Super Bowl 60 will not only determine the NFL champion but will also mark a new financial milestone for the gaming industry in the United States. According to the Legal Betting Forecast prepared by Legal Sports Report (LSR) and the Sports Betting Alliance, bettors are expected to allocate US$ 1.7 billion exclusively through regulated channels.
This record volume is no coincidence but the result of aggressive legislative expansion. To put the figure into perspective: in 2018, the year PASPA was repealed, legal bets on the Super Bowl barely reached US$ 158.6 million (concentrated only in Nevada). The 1,000% growth in eight years demonstrates how the regulated offer has managed to capture much of the flow that was previously directed to the black market.
The Money Map: New York Leads and Missouri Debuts
The geographical breakdown of the report anticipates a close battle between the neighboring eastern states:
- New York: Projected as the undisputed leader with US$ 170.7 million in handle.
- New Jersey: Closely follows with an estimate of US$ 160.6 million.
However, this year's differentiating factor is the inclusion of Missouri. The state, which recently enabled its market, arrives "just in time" for the big event, injecting a new liquidity volume that, according to analyst Eric Ramsey, is what allows the regulated sector's streak of records to continue.
Safety vs. Black Market
The report emphasizes the "channeling" of the player. Joe Maloney, president of the Sports Betting Alliance, highlighted that access to legal platforms is the only effective barrier against offshore operators. Unlike illegal houses, the regulated market guarantees prize payments and generates tax revenues.
If we apply a conservative Hold (retention margin) of 7%, a historical average for NFL events according to data from the American Gaming Association (AGA), the legal industry could generate about US$ 119 million in gross revenue (GGR) during this game alone, translating into tens of millions of dollars in direct taxes for state coffers in a single weekend.
Tags: United States, USA, NFL betting, Super Bowl betting