People are betting on the NFL playoffs at a mind-blowing pace. That’s according to market-leading geolocation firm GeoComply.
Anna Sainsbury, CEO of GeoComply released a series of data points yesterday that indicate we’re in for an incredible run of Super Bowl betting activity to kick off the year. Sainsbury wrote:
“With even more Americans able to bet safely and legally this year, we anticipate another record-breaking Super Bowl this coming weekend.”
Increased access to legal sports betting led to huge jump in betting activity
Since the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, sports betting has exploded. Legal US sports betting has generated more than $2.4 billion in state tax revenue since May 2018, Sainsbury noted.
More than 44% of the country’s population has access to legal sports betting, Sainsbury said. As a result, the 2023 NFL playoffs have brought unprecedented betting activity.
GeoComply has processed more than 550 million geolocation checks (verifying a bettor’s physical location) through the conference championship games. That figure represents a 50% increase over 2022’s NFL playoffs.
“Interest in the 2023 NFL playoffs has been off the charts,” Sainsbury said on LinkedIn.
Super Bowl betting should break all kinds of records this year
How will the betting activity look leading up to and during Super Bowl LVII? Sainsbury didn’t offer predictions. However, she noted that last year, the company completed more than 80 million geolocation checks during Super Bowl weekend, a 226% increase over 2021.
We could see a similar increase in betting activity this year. Ohio, Maryland, and Kansas have launched online sports betting over the past few months. Those markets continue to mature and will bring a considerable amount of betting traffic for the big game.
Of those three states, Ohio will likely make the biggest impact on Super Bowl betting this year. The state launched mobile sports betting on January 1. It is widely seen as a contender for a top-five sports betting market. And while the numbers for January revenue aren’t out yet, it’s likely that Ohio took in at least $500 million in handle (total wagered) last month.
More than 50 million people in US expected to bet on Super Bowl LVII
The American Gaming Association (AGA) predicts record Super Bowl betting numbers this year. The AGA said it projects that 50.4 million adults should bet on the Super Bowl, an increase of 61% over 2022.
The group expects bettors to gamble around $16 billion on the game, which is double what the AGA predicted for last year’s Super Bowl.
