A record 31.5 million Americans plan to bet on this year's Super Bowl, according to estimates released Tuesday by the gambling industry's national trade group.
The American Gaming Association forecasted that over $7.6 billion will be wagered on pro football's championship game set for Sunday.
Both the amount of people planning to bet (up 35 percent from last year) and the estimated amount of money being bet (up 78 percent from last year) are new records.
Bettors include people making casual wagers with friends or relatives, entries into office pools, wagers with licensed sportsbooks, and bets placed with illegal bookmakers.
'Americans have never been more interested in legal sports wagering,' said Bill Miller, the group's president and CEO.
'The growth of legal options across the country not only protects fans and the integrity of games and bets, but also puts illegal operators on notice that their time is limited.'
When the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals begin the game Sunday evening in the Rams home stadium, 30 states plus Washington D.C.
will offer legal gambling.
General atmosphere on July 19, 2021 at the sportsbook in The Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas
When the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals begin the game Sunday evening in the Rams home stadium, 30 states plus Washington D.C.
will offer legal gambling
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (left) and his Rams counterpart, Matthew Stafford (right)
Gamblers have more access to legal gambling, thanks, in part, to an abundance of phone apps