Online bookmakers said this year’s Super Bowl was a big hit for digital betting. BetMGM, one of the biggest operators in the US, claimed that a record number of first-time users signed up for its app on Sunday.
In addition, the operator commented that it handled twice as many bets as last year’s Super Bowl.
Penn National, rival gaming operator to BetMGM, commented that the Super Bowl was “a record” for its Barstool Sportsbook platform, seeing an increase in total bets, money wagered and unique daily bettors.
GeoComply, the geolocation group, identified more than 80.1 million Super Bowl-related bets were placed over the weekend, well over double the number for the 2021 Super Bowl.
A representative for WynnBets, which operated in just two states during last year’s Super Bowl, said the more states legalize online sports betting, the more records like these will be recorded.
The US Supreme Court helped the growth of sports betting
Sports betting has been in effect in the U.S. since 2018, when the Supreme Court overturned a ban on states outside of Nevada, allowing punters to place their guesses on sports.
The situation has eased during the Covid-19 pandemic, as states regulate and tax gambling as a way to recoup money spent during the crisis and the restrictions placed on the economy.
Twelve states, including Florida and North Carolina, began offering legal sports betting last year, bringing the total number of states that allow it to 31.
On Sunday, the Super Bowl was the first major event since New York state legalized online sports betting earlier this year.
After this legalization, the state, with a population of 20 million, quickly became a dominant market for bookmakers, with people already staking nearly $2 billion on gambling, according to the governor’s office.
