Super Bowl LVII expected to be most-bet event in US sporting history
February 15, 2023
The pundits, the neutrals and anyone with a connection to the Kansas City Chiefs will have agreed that the 57th Super Bowl was one of the greatest in history, and while Philadelphia fans will struggle to agree, this is one that will long be remembered for staying competitive. That’s something title games have often lacked in the past, and there are probably at least a few people who weren’t overjoyed about how close the game was. Among them will be many of the estimated 50.4 million bettors who helped this to become the most-bet event in American sporting history.
Something like $16 million is expected to have been placed on various markets around the game in Arizona on Sunday evening, most of it simply on who would win the game. In previous years, it’s been pretty clear from before the halftime show who that would be. In Super Bowl LVII, though, this one was in the balance pretty much up until Harrison Butker kicked the winning field goal with eight seconds left on the clock. Until that decisive action, the teams had equally shared seventy points, easily covering the expected points total that was set at 49.5 for the game.
It was also an upset win, which means that of the last six Super Bowls, an equal number have been won by the favorite and the underdog. The Eagles came into this one carrying the tag of 1.5 point favorites and when they led 24-14 coming into the Rihanna-led halftime show, they were looking like making good on that tag. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was MVP on the night and added that title to the season MVP award he’d just banked, led his team back from the deficit and had them up by eight before an absorbing drive saw Jalen Hurts carry in for a touchdown, and then repeat the dose on the two-point conversion.
This was also notable for being a Super Bowl between teams whose local fans are in a position to bet on games – kind of. Pennsylvania is a state with legal betting, while Kansas state also permits sports wagering while Missouri, where Kansas City actually lies, is in the process of seeking to legalize betting. Nonetheless, most Kansas state betting revolves around the local support for the Chiefs, which will have helped the overall take for the Super Bowl. Additionally, the game was played in Arizona, which also permits betting on sports.
The game – which marked Kansas City’s second Super Bowl win in four years, and their third appearance in the showpiece within that time span – may well hasten the decision to legalize sports betting in Missouri. With his second Super Bowl ring, Mahomes is now undeniably among the elite QBs of all time, and this Chiefs team is beginning to look dynastic. That can’t fail to focus minds on the potential for sports wagering to contribute heavily to the state’s economy as people flock to back a team with all the talent it needs to keep winning.
