Sports betting has become a widespread practice since states began to legalize it in 2018, and there is no more significant event in sports than the Super Bowl.
This year, the Caesars Entertainment betting menu features 22 pages of more than 2,000 different offerings, and that doesn’t even include some of the common prop bets like the length of the national anthem and the color of the Gatorade.
The initial options were released last week and will continue to update until game time.
The NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles are currently favored by 1.5 over the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs and have received more than 70% of the bets that have been placed.
That is a positive sign for Philadelphia, as the favorite has won six of the last ten Super Bowls.
The 1.5 line is the smallest since Super Bowl LIV, when the Chiefs began game week favored by one over the San Francisco 49ers.
The largest bet placed so far is a $35,000 wager that there will be no kick or punt return touchdowns. People have also bet on exact point totals, kickers being named Most Valuable Player, and whether a quarterback will catch a pass.
Other standard options are who will catch the first pass, who will score the first touchdown, the total points scored in the game (over/under), and who will have the better stats among players at the same positions.
Gamblers can also bet on various aspects of the halftime show as part of the prop bets.
Thirty-six states currently have legalized sports betting. The practice has led to a substantial increase in revenue from casinos, as experts estimate $100 million in revenue earned in 2022.
Sports betting is not currently legal in Texas, but there is reported support, including from Beto O’Rourke and former Gov. Rick Perry, to allow gambling in select cities.
Super Bowl LVII kicks off at 5:30 pm CT on Sunday, February 12, from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
