How Much Money is Bet on the Super Bowl Every Year?
The Super Bowl is the … Super Bowl of sports betting. For bettors around the world, this is their chance to bet on the NFL’s biggest game. For some it will end in tears, for others it will end with a ton of cash deposited into their online betting account.
American gambling online, whether it’s prop bets or spreads or totals, is big business. However, what about those who bet in person at a Las Vegas sportsbook? Have you ever wondered what the total handle – a fancy way to say the “sum of all bets” – for the NFL’s most important Sunday is?
Super Bowl Bets by the Numbers
An obscene amount of money is thrown into Super Bowl betting each year. According to the American Gaming Association, roughly 23 million Americans were estimated to have bet on the Super Bowl in 2019. As of 2018 there were 327.2 million people living in the United States. That means about seven percent of the population – basically, everyone and their mothers – are hoping to lay down some cash on the Super Bowl yearly.
The Nevada State Gaming Control Board releases the total amount bet on the Super Bowl about 24 hours after the game. These numbers are courtesy of 200 sportsbooks from across the state. This data goes back to 1991 – that year bettors placed $40,080,409 worth of wagers on the Super Bowl. That’s equivalent to about $75,000,000 today.
You’ll notice that Super Bowl 53 saw less money wagered than the previous year. Maybe people were sick of seeing the New England Patriots? Maybe Los Angeles Rams bettors sat this one out? Who knows. What we do know is that legal wagers at sportsbooks in the Silver State make up a huge chunk of revenue at casinos from Sin City to Reno to Carson City.
Additionally, check out Super Bowls 31 and 34. There is no winner against the spread (ATS) because both games pushed. In sports gambling, a PUSH is when the spread result or totals score hits the oddsmaker’s set number exactly. In this instance the betting site gives you your money back.
Furthermore, 23 out of 29 times the winner of the big game was also the ATS winner. Only in Super Bowls 30, 38, 39 and 43 has the loser covered the spread. The average total score is 46.6. Some games are high-scoring affairs where the O-line is hotter than a grill during the parking lot tailgate. In other years the teams can barely make it past each other’s D-lines into the end zone.
Check out the chart below and see for yourself exactly how much is bet on the Super Bowl each year.
| Super Bowl | Amount Bet (USD) | Score | Straight-up Winner | ATS Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 (Feb 3, 2019) | $145,939,025 | Patriots 13, Rams 3 | Patriots | Patriots |
| 52 (Feb 4, 2018) | $158,586,934 | Eagles 41, Patriots 24 | Eagles | Eagles |
| 51 (Feb 5, 2017) | $138,480,136 | Patriots 34, Falcons 28 | Patriots | Patriots |
| 50 (Feb 7, 2016) | $132,545,587 | Broncos 24, Panthers 10 | Broncos | Broncos |
| 49 (Feb 1, 2015) | $115,986,086 | Patriots 28, Seahawks 24 | Patriots | Patriots |
| 48 (Feb 2, 2014) | $119,400,822 | Seahawks 43, Broncos 8 | Seahawks | Seahawks |
| 47 (Feb 3, 2013) | $98,936,798 | Ravens 34, 49ers 31 | Ravens | Ravens |
| 46 (Feb 5, 2012) | $93,899,840 | Giants 21, Patriots 17 | Giants | Giants |
| 45 (Feb 6, 2011) | $87,491,098 | Packers 31, Steelers 25 | Packers | Packers |
| 44 (Feb 7, 2010) | $82,726,367 | Saints 31, Colts 17 | Saints | Saints |
| 43 (Feb 1, 2009) | $81,514,748 | Steelers 27, Cardinals 23 | Steelers | Cardinals |
| 42 (Feb 3, 2008) | $92,055,833 | Giants 17, Patriots 14 | Giants | Giants |
| 41 (Feb 4, 2007) | $93,067,358 | Colts 29, Bears 17 | Colts | Colts |
| 40 (Feb 5, 2006) | $94,534,372 | Steelers 21, Seahawks 10 | Steelers | Steelers |
| 39 (Feb 6, 2005) | $90,759,236 | Patriots 24, Eagles 21 | Patriots | Eagles |
| 38 (Feb 1, 2004) | $81,242,191 | Patriots 32, Panthers 29 | Patriots | Panthers |
| 37 (Jan 26, 2003) | $71,513,304 | Buccaneers 48, Raiders 21 | Buccaneers | Buccaneers |
| 36 (Feb 3, 2002) | $71,693,032 | Patriots 20, Rams 17 | Patriots | Patriots |
| 35 (Jan 28, 2001) | $67,661,425 | Ravens 34, Giants 7 | Ravens | Ravens |
| 34 (Jan 30, 2000) | $71,046,751 | Rams 23, Titans 16 | Rams | PUSH |
| 33 (Jan 31, 1999) | $75,986,520 | Broncos 34, Falcons 19 | Broncos | Broncos |
| 32 (Jan 25, 1998) | $77,253,246 | Broncos 31, Packers 24 | Broncos | Broncos |
| 31 (Jan 26, 1997) | $70,853,211 | Packers 35, Patriots 21 | Packers | PUSH |
| 30 (Jan 28, 1996) | $70,907,801 | Cowboys 27, Steelers 17 | Cowboys | Steelers |
| 29 (Jan 29, 1995) | $69,591,818 | 49ers 49, Chargers 26 | 49ers | 49ers |
| 28 (Jan 29, 1994) | $54,483,221 | Cowboys 30, Bills 13 | Cowboys | Cowboys |
| 27 (Jan 31, 1993) | $56,811,405 | Cowboys 52, Bills 17 | Cowboys | Cowboys |
| 26 (Jan 26, 1992) | $50,334,227 | Redskins 37, Bills 24 | Redskins | Redskins |
| 25 (Jan27, 1991) | $40,080,409 | Giants 20, Bills 19 | Giants | Giants |
If you want even more handicapping information for the NFL, whether it’s the Super Bowl, the playoffs or a Monday Night Football game during the regular season, check out the following pages:
• Betting News – What’s going on in the NFL from a wagering standpoint
• Odds – Lines from different sportsbooks for upcoming games
• Futures – Who is projected to win the big game
• Free Picks – Predictions from our super computer for ATS, SU, O/U
• Consensus – What side is the public heavily betting on
• Scores – Pretty self-explanatory
• Standings – Overall standings for the league and betting records
• Stats – How a team does on Offense and Defense
• Game Logs – Matchup recaps
• Betting Trends – How teams have done ATS, O/U in the past as favorites/underdogs
• Power Rankings – See how teams stack up against each other
• Team Reports – Synopsis of each crew
• Database – How a squad performed historically ATS
