Americans will stake $23bn on Sunday’s game as the NFL strengthens its ties with the gambling industry. Many are worried about the human costs
For the first time, this year’s Super Bowl will take place in Las Vegas. And NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is aware that a gambling mecca and pro sports teams could be a dangerous mixture: he issued a memo in the run-up to Sunday’s game, reminding team personnel they should not even walk into a sportsbook, let alone place a bet on the game.
For the general public it’s a very different story. The clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers is expected to be the biggest single-game betting event in US history. The American Gaming Association (AGA) expects 26% of US adults will bet on the game for a combined total of $23bn. That’s no surprise given the magnitude of the occasion and the explosive growth of the sector since a 2018 US supreme court ruling cleared the path for regulated sports gambling beyond Nevada.
