It’s Super Bowl Sunday! But with the excitement of the game, and the added excitement of American sports betting being a reality, we’re sure to see some bumps along the way. A while ago, we discussed some of the potential problems that we could see with the growth of the industry. One of those problems is the growth of advertising and marketing.
We caught up with the American Gaming Association to discuss some of the dynamics and potential issues of marketing for sports betting. Chris Cylke, the Senior Vice President for Government Relations at the AGA, speaks with us about the balance between advertising and responsible gaming, and their position on any possible advertising restrictions.
A record 50.4 million American adults (20%) are expected to bet on Super Bowl LVII, a 61 percent increase from the record set in 2022, according to a new AGA survey. Bettors plan to wager an estimated $16 billion on this year’s championship game, more than double last year’s estimates. With the expansion of regulated American sports betting, traditional Super Bowl wagers are expected to pass casual wagers for the first time ever. Thirty million American adults plan to place a traditional sports wager online, at a retail sportsbook or with a bookie, up 66 percent from 2022. Twenty-eight million plan to bet casually with friends or as part of a pool or squares contest, up 50 percent from 2022.
Sports betting legalization is also driving fan interest in the NFL, as more than a third (34%) of NFL fans say that the expansion of legal sports betting has made watching an NFL game more exciting. Industry investments in responsible gaming continue to resonate. The majority of traditional Super Bowl bettors (71%) report seeing a responsible gaming message in the last year. Importantly, younger Americans (under 35 years old) are more likely to recall seeing a responsible gaming message and younger bettors are more likely to say it is important to only wager legally.
“Every year, the Super Bowl serves to highlight the benefits of legal sports betting: bettors are transitioning to the protections of the regulated market, leagues and sports media are seeing increased engagement, and legal operators are driving needed tax revenue to states across the country,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “As interest in legal sports betting continues to expand, the gaming industry remains committed to responsibly delivering world class entertainment, educating consumers about how to bet responsibly, and combating illegal gambling as we work to build a safe, competitive and sustainable legal market for all,” Miller continued.