All of that just in time for the NFL playoffs and now the most wagered on game of the year, the Super Bowl.
If they want, Ohioans can wager legally on Super Bowl LVII, a matchup of the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles vs. the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Gamblers have a number of wagering possibilities from the basic to the more than 2,000 prop bets. You can wager on which team will win the game, how many total points will be scored, and which player will score the first touchdown or be named MVP.
The list is longer than the halftime show.
Or, if you can’t wait until the game starts, there is a prop bet on how long it takes eight-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton to sing the National Anthem or which team will win the coin flip.
Nearly 20% of the adults in the U.S., or 50.4 million, are expected to bet about $16 billion on the Super Bowl, according to survey results released last week by the American Gaming Association. That’s more than double last year’s estimates and includes legal sportsbooks, illegal bookmakers and casual wagers among friends.
The number of expected Super Bowl bettors is up 61% from last year’s survey. Besides Ohio, Kansas, Maryland and Massachusetts have launched online sports betting since the Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams in last year’s Super Bowl.
Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia have legalized gambling, according to the AGA.
Ohio estimates that sports betting will be a $1.1 billion industry in its first year of operation, growing to $3.35 billion within a few years.
Those who run the two area sportsbooks, Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway and Miami Valley Gaming in Monroe, are eager to see how much is wagered on the Super Bowl.
“Anytime there is a big game coming up like this Sunday, we anticipate volumes to increase,” said Jennifer Woffindale, director of marketing at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway. “Business in the first month has been good. We are seeing new customers come to the property to place sports betting wagers. It is great to attract new customers along with offering a new experience to our known customers.”
Hollywood Gaming has three live teller windows and 12 betting kiosks, Woffindale said.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Craig Robinson, president and general manager at Miami Valley Gaming, said he expects veteran sports bettors to wager on the Super Bowl in the days leading up to the game, and beginning bettors to show up the day of the game.
He said MVG has 16 kiosks and several live tellers.
MVG opened its sportsbook, located in the horse racing simulcasting area, on Jan. 13, and Robinson said there’s been “really good volume” in the first month.
He’s anticipating a large crowd for the game and said the Center Bar area was a popular place to watch the NFL playoffs. When the Cincinnati Bengals played the Chiefs for the AFC Championship, as expected, most people bet on the Bengals.
Robinson said the “big joke” at MVG was that he and the Kansas City fans were the only ones cheering for the Chiefs.
HOW TO WATCH
WHAT: Super Bowl LVII
WHO: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
TV: Fox
BETTING LINES: Eagles favored by 1.5 points; over/under: 51 points
HELP WITH PROBLEM GAMBLING
The gambling helpline is available 24/7 at 800-589-9966, or at www.Beforeyoubet.org. For information on the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio, go to www.pgnohio.org.
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