How Much Money Is Bet On The Super Bowl
51% of Americans will make some type of Super Bowl-related bet this year. 67% of millennials plan to make a bet, as does 62% of Generation Z, while just 26% of baby boomers will do. And with over $6 billion bet annually on the game, we’d be remiss not to lead off talking about how impactful Super Bowl 2021 betting is to the entire picture. In this guide, we’re going to cover literally everything Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl brings in a lot of betting action across the globe. The Nevada Gaming Commission reports the total amount of wagers taken on the Super Bowl at the state’s sportsbooks each year. Here’s a hint, it’s nearly as much as the amount wagered for the entire NCAA tournament.
This is the most accurate way to track betting on the game and the starting point for any estimates about the total amount of gambling done worldwide.
2020 Was a Big Year for Sportsbooks
The latest reports out of Nevada show the second biggest year in the history of the Super Bowl in both the amount wagered on the game and the amount made collectively by Las Vegas sportsbooks.
This is a little surprising as the Chiefs appeared to be the public favorites. A big portion of the wagers were likely on props and parlays, which are big profit makers for books, plus the over was also a very popular public wager that fell short of the number.
Most betting during the season is done on the spread and total, but prop bets and exotic wagers get a lot more action during the Super Bowl.
How Much Las Vegas Sportsbooks Make on the Super Bowl Wagers
| YEAR | AMT WAGERED | BOOK W/L | RETURN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $154,679,241 | $18,774,148 | 12.1% | Kansas City 31, San Francisco 20 |
| 2019 | $145,939,025 | $10,780,319 | 7.4% | New England 13, LA Rams 3 |
| 2018 | $158,586,934 | $1,170,432 | 0.7% | Philadelphia 41, New England 33 |
| 2017 | $138,480,136 | $10,937,826 | 7.90% | New England 34, Atlanta 28 |
| 2016 | $132,545,587 | $13,314,539 | 10.1% | Denver 24, Carolina 10 |
| 2015 | $115,986,086 | $3,261,066 | 2.8% | New England 28, Seattle 24 |
| 2014 | $119,400,000 | $19,700,000 | 16.50% | Seahawks 43, Broncos 8 |
| 2013 | $98,936,798 | $7,206,460 | 7.30% | Ravens 34, 49ers 31 |
| 2012 | $93,899,840 | $5,064,470 | 5.40% | Giants 21, Patriots 17 |
| 2011 | $87,491,098 | $724,176 | 0.83% | Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 25 |
| 2010 | $82,726,367 | $6,857,101 | 8.29% | New Orleans 31, Indianapolis 17 |
| 2009 | $81,514,748 | $6,678,044 | 8.19% | Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23 |
| 2008 | $92,055,833 | -$2,573,103 | -2.80% | N.Y. Giants 17, New England 14 |
| 2007 | $93,067,358 | $12,930,175 | 13.89% | Indianapolis 29, Chicago 17 |
| 2006 | $94,534,372 | $8,828,431 | 9.34% | Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10 |
| 2005 | $90,759,236 | $15,430,138 | 17.00% | New England 24, Philadelphia 21 |
| 2004 | $81,242,191 | $12,440,698 | 15.31% | New England 32, Carolina 29 |
| 2003 | $71,693,032 | $5,264,963 | 7.34% | Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21 |
| 2002 | $71,513,304 | $2,331,607 | 3.26% | New England 20, St. Louis 17 |
| 2001 | $67,661,425 | $11,002,636 | 16.26% | Baltimore 34, New York Giants 7 |
| 2000 | $71,046,751 | $4,237,978 | 5.97% | St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16 |
| 1999 | $75,986,520 | $2,906,601 | 3.83% | Denver 34, Atlanta 19 |
| 1998 | $77,253,246 | $472,033 | 0.61% | Denver 31, Green Bay 24 |
| 1997 | $70,853,211 | $2,265,701 | 3.20% | Green Bay 35, New England 21 |
| 1996 | $70,907,801 | $7,126,145 | 10.05% | Dallas 27, Pittsburgh 17 |
| 1995 | $69,591,818 | -$396,674 | -0.57% | San Francisco 49, San Diego 26 |
| 1994 | $54,483,221 | $7,481,541 | 13.73% | Dallas 30, Buffalo 13 |
| 1993 | $56,811,405 | $7,174,869 | 12.63% | Dallas 52, Buffalo 17 |
| 1992 | $50,334,277 | $301,280 | 0.60% | Washington 37, Buffalo 24 |
| 1991 | $40,080,409 | $3,512,241 | 8.76% | New York Giants 20, Buffalo 19 |
| SEGMENT | AMT WAGERED | BOOK W/L | RETURN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Year Averages | $90,335,376 | $6,840,195 | 7.57% |
| Average Last 5 Years | $146,046,185 | $10,995,453 | 7.53% |
How Much is Bet by State (Legally)
As more and more states start to legalize sports betting, we have access to data on how much action they taking in on the big game. Below are the reported numbers by each state on the Super Bowl.
New Jersey
The biggest handle outside of the desert comes in the Garden State. New Jersey’s handle on the big game was just shy of $55 million.
Considering their handle was up nearly 55% from 2019, it might not be long before they are up there with Nevada.
While New Jersey has to be excited about their growth, they did take a big hit. It was reported that New Jersey lost just under $4.3 million on the big game.
| YEAR | AMT WAGERED | BOOK W/L | RETURN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $54,288,277 | -$4,280,000 | -7.8% |
Pennsylvania
The Keystone State had plenty of action on the Super Bowl with just over $30 million wagered. Unfortunately for them they too suffered a loss, losing $3.3 million.
Those in Pennsylvania took full of advantage of technology with 78.3% of the action taking place online.
| YEAR | AMT WAGERED | BOOK W/L | RETURN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $30,693,942 | -$3,334,787 | -10.9% |
Rhode Island
There was $1 million dollars less bet on the Super Bowl in Rhode Island this year compared to last. In 2019 they reported $6.5 million bet with this year coming in at $5.5 million.
The decline certainly had a lot to do with the Patriots not being involved. The good news is that they were one of the few books outside of Nevada to show a profit.
| YEAR | AMT WAGERED | BOOK W/L | RETURN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $5,500,000 | $805,000 | 1.5% |
New Hampshire
We were able to find that roughly $2.31 million was put down on the Super Bowl in New Hampshire.
Considering the mobile DraftKings Sportsbook didn’t launch until December of 2019, we should expect a lot more money coming in in 2021.
As of right now we were not able to find if the books made or lost money on the big game.
Delaware
Only $2.1 million was wagered in Delaware, largely due to the fact that they don’t offer mobile sports betting.
They reported losing right around $230K, for a -11.0% return.
| YEAR | AMT WAGERED | BOOK W/L | RETURN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $2,100,000 | -229,000 | -11.0% |
Mississippi
The Magnolia State saw a decent uptick in money bet on the Super Bowl. It was reported that $6.7 million was bet in 2020, up from $4.7 last year.
Mississippi has not made their profit/loss available for the public at this time.
Oregon
Out of all the states, Oregon had the lowest total of money bet at $2 million, but lucky for them they were able to show a slim profit of $150K.
| YEAR | AMT WAGERED | BOOK W/L | RETURN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $2,000,000 | $150,000 | 0.8% |
West Virginia
West Virginia had several books open right in time for the Super Bowl and the state was able to generate a handle of almost $4 million.
We don’t know if they won or loss money, but that’s a nice showing given players didn’t have a ton of time to get an account set up.
Iowa
Iowa had a nice turnout on the Super Bowl with $6.5 million being wagered, but that’s about the only positive for the Iowa Gaming Association.
Given that Iowa shares a border with the home state of the Chiefs, they had a ton of action on Kansas City.
We don’t the exact numbers, but rumors are that Iowa took a big loss with the Chiefs victory.
| YEAR | AMT WAGERED | BOOK W/L | RETURN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $6,500,000 |
Many More Millions Gambled On the Super Bowl Illegally
So those numbers are just in Las Vegas. Numbers vary widely on the reports of legal, Las Vegas betting and illegal betting but most estimates think Nevada only pulls in 2.5% of the total action! So if this is correct then you can assume there is about 40x as much bet on the Super Bowl as what the numbers state above!
That is a lot of wagers that are being placed through bookies and online sports books.
If you aren’t in Vegas or another state where betting is legal but want to get action in on the big game, then I recommend you take a look at our 5Dimes review and our Bovada Sportsbook review as these are two of our favorites.
And if you want a better chance of winning see if any of our experts have a free pick on the game.
How Much is Bet on the Coin Toss?
How Much Money Is Bet On The Super Bowl Each Year
Sportsbooks don’t released official numbers on specific props, so it’s really impossible to know exactly how much is bet on the coin flip or how many people bet it. It’s safe to assume it’s one of the more popular prop bets because it’s novel, cheaply priced, is decided quickly, and is virtually a 50/50 proportion.
They say scared money don’t make money, and that’s certainly true.
How Much Money Is Being Bet On The Super Bowl
But when you have enough money to bet $2.3 million on a single thing, what is there to really be scared of?
That’s what someone bet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. They’re +3.5 on the spread. Someone bet $2.3 million that they’d be able to cover against the Chiefs, according to Bet MGM.
How Much Money Is Bet On The Super Bowl In Vegas
And if they do cover, the person who placed that bet will get a cool $2 million back. Talk about getting a bang for your buck. Or…your Bucs.
Don’t worry. I’ll see myself out.
How Much Money Is Bet On The Super Bowl Each Year
When you’re already betting $2.3 million, another $2 million is certainly not life-changing money for this bettor. But it’s still a lot. Good luck, I guess.