(TAN): Twenty-eight of the top 30 most-watched television broadcasts in the United States’ history are Super Bowls. The only non-NFL-related programming to crack that milestone list were the M*A*S*H series finale in 1963 and the second fight between Leon Spinks and Muhammad Ali in 1978.
Subsequently, the NFL’s championship game is the event that attracts the most wagering, with USD 1 billion in Super Bowl bets expected across the country through legal online and retail sportsbooks this year. On February 13, the Los Angeles Rams will represent the NFC in a Super Bowl matchup with the AFC’s Cincinnati Bengals inside SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
As of this writing, BetUS lists the Rams as 4.5-point favorites in the big game, with an over/under of 48.5. The Rams will look to become the second straight team to win the Super Bowl inside their home stadium after the feat failed to occur in any of the previous 54 editions of the game.
Traveling won’t take you out of the game
California — the host state for Super Bowl Sunday — has yet to legalize sports gambling, but plenty of states will take your action if you’re planning a trip on or during the weekend of the game.
As of February 2022, more than half of the states in the U.S. are operational in the space, through online, brick and mortar, or both. Since last year’s final matchup was played between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs, ten additional states passed legislation, making it legal for consumers to place bets.
In all, you can make a wager on the Super Bowl, or most any sport for that matter, in 30 U.S. states.
However, there is still a market, and a big one at that, for sports wagering of the illegal variety. Five-hundred million was wagered legally on last year’s Super Bowl, but an estimated total of USD 4.3 billion was bet on the game in total. And while the legal ledger is expected to double this time around, that still leaves more than USD 3 billion, which will be placed through other means.
Where’s the biggest action?
As you might imagine, Nevada is expected to take the most action out of any state in the country, so if you’re traveling to the west coast, Las Vegas will be happy to accommodate. However, several east coast states are making a run at Sin City with competition heating up.
New York just launched online sports betting in January after being restricted to retail sportsbooks in 2021 and is expected to rake in the second most amount of bets in the nation. New Jersey, Illinois, and Pennsylvania are projected to round out the top five.
If you’re looking to travel to P.A., the Keystone State just opened two brand new casinos within the last three months (Bally’s Pennsylvania in State College and Hollywood Casino in Morgantown), both equipped with sportsbooks.
Arizona just legalized it in the last year and incorporated a sportsbook inside Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“The sports betting landscape has changed dramatically since last year’s game,” said Eric Ramsey, data analyst for PlayUSA. “More than half of all Americans now live in a legal jurisdiction, and even well-established markets such as New Jersey and Nevada have grown significantly over the last year as mobile betting gains in popularity.”
Bets galore
The Super Bowl offers more than just a spread and total to bet on, with thousands of bets offered with a wide variety of odds. The newer the sportsbook, the more incentives they may offer. It’s just a matter of doing your homework and scouring the landscape wherever your travel plans lead you.
The number of bets may be overwhelming, so prepare yourself by looking online first. BetUs has all the props, futures, and lines you can imagine to set you up for success as you settle in for kickoff.
Best of luck, and safe travels.
