AGA touts Super Bowl betting momentum, bashes prediction markets

• Americans are projected to wager $1.76bn on Super Bowl LX through licensed sportsbooks, highlighting the continued growth of regulated sports betting in the US
• The American Gaming Association criticises sports event contracts for blurring the line between betting and investment, arguing they confuse consumers and lack adequate regulatory oversight
• Research shows contract bettors are more likely to view wagers as investments and expect regulatory intervention, reinforcing AGA’s push for state- and tribal-regulated sportsbooks as the safer alternative

Super Bowl LX will be one of the most spectacular yet, with more Americans than ever before able to place a flutter on either the New England Patriots or Seattle Seahawks.

The Big Game will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, USA, but fans from all over the country will be hanging out at sportsbook lobbies or going online to place a flutter and partake in the action.

Super Bowl betting picks up again in 2026

The American Gaming Association now estimates in a new research that Americans are on track to plonk down a whopping $1.76bn in legally placed wagers, i.e., on licensed sportsbooks in the country, reflecting the continued growth of gambling around the Super Bowl.

AGA President and CEO Bill Miller put the figure in contesting giving a rough idea of what it truly means:

"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. By choosing legal, regulated sportsbooks, fans are having fun while supporting a safe and responsible market."

Touting the figure, AGA didn’t miss the opportunity to take a swipe at prediction markets, and sports event contracts in particular, which have sown discord in its own ranks with DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics, among others, quitting the trade group over the rift.

In the statement, AGA argued that consumers are increasingly confused by the proliferation of prediction markets that offer "sports betting as investment rather than entertainment."

The devil is in prediction markets

AGA noted that 78% of sports event contract bettors think gambling regulators may step in and resolve a dispute, which is not true. Furthermore, contract bettors are three times more likely to say that the money they place on those contracts constitutes an investment compared to traditional sports events - 28% compared to 9% for the latter.

"This research reinforces why state- and tribal-regulated sportsbooks are critical, offering strong oversight and consumer protections that prediction markets simply do not match," Miller added.

According to sports event contractor bettors (the term is used by AGA), they are also more likely to see language that promotes the product as a form of investment, compared to traditional sports bettors (31% vs 7%).

Another important market, AGA says, is the fact that 25% of sports event contracts are funded not from discretionarybut investment budgets, compared to 9% for typical sports bettors.

AGA continues to push back against the sector, arguing that it falls short of maintaining the necessary player protection standards, while also cannibalizing market share from traditional gambling platforms, which are bound by stricter rules and taxation codes.

Image credit: Unsplash.com