Americans are expected to wager a record $1.76bn legally on Super Bowl LX, according to new estimates published by the American Gaming Association (AGA), reflecting the continued expansion of state- and tribal-regulated sports betting markets across the United States.
The AGA said the figure underscores the scale of consumer participation in legal sports betting during major sporting events, while also reinforcing the role of regulated sportsbooks in providing oversight and consumer protections.
American Gaming Association President and CEO, Bill Miller, said: “No single event brings fans together like the Super Bowl, and this record figure shows just how much Americans enjoy sports betting as part of the experience.”
Miller added: “By choosing legal, regulated sportsbooks, fans are having fun while supporting a safe and responsible market.”
Alongside the Super Bowl betting forecast, the AGA released new research examining consumer perceptions of prediction markets that offer sports event contracts.
The study found that many users misunderstand how these platforms are regulated, with 78% of sports event contract bettors believing state regulators could help resolve disputes, despite prediction markets operating outside state sports betting regulatory frameworks.
The research also highlighted differences in how users perceive their activity. Sports event contract bettors were three times more likely than sportsbook bettors to describe their activity as investing rather than gambling, with 28% framing it as an investment compared to 9% of sportsbook users. A further 31% reported seeing trading or investment-style language in platform messaging.
Despite this, the majority of sports event contract users, 58%, still described the activity as gambling, suggesting a disconnect between platform messaging and perceived risk.
The study also raised concerns about responsible gambling safeguards. Only 28% of sports event contract bettors said responsible gambling tools were easy to find on their platform, compared to 58% of sportsbook users.
Miller said: “This research reinforces why state- and tribal-regulated sportsbooks are critical, offering strong oversight and consumer protections that prediction markets simply do not match.”
Earlier this month, the AGA and Indian Gaming Association jointly urged US lawmakers to address unregulated prediction markets, warning that sports event contracts risk undermining state law, Tribal sovereignty, and existing federal protections.
The AGA estimates that legal sports betting now operates in more than 35 states and Washington, DC, with revenues supporting state programs and responsible gambling initiatives nationwide
