The American Gaming Association projects that Americans will bet a record $35 billion on NFL games at legal sportsbooks this year, according to figures released Tuesday by the organization.

That total would be up more than 30 percent compared to last year, when regulated online and live sportsbooks across the United States collected $26.7 billion in wagers on the NFL.

NFL Betting Dwarfs Other US Sports

The expected growth comes both from maturing markets and the addition of legalized sports betting to a few states. Namely, North Carolina, Maine, and Vermont have all launched sports betting operations since the end of the 2023 NFL season, while betting sites should be open for the full season in Florida after a failed legal challenge to the Seminole Tribe’s compact with the state. 

There are now 38 states that offer legalized sports betting, along with the District of Columbia. In some states, specific totals for NFL betting aren’t available, as those states report totals only for “pro American football,” which would include some betting on leagues like the United Football League.

Still, there’s no doubt that the NFL is the undisputed king of sports betting in the United States.

“The NFL typically yields the largest bets not only due to the popularity of the league, but also the schedule,” DraftKings sportsbook director Johnny Avello told ESPN. “Standalone games tend to attract more sizable bets, and the NFL has more isolated games in the regular season than any other league.”

While the NFL, like most leagues, traditionally distanced itself from gambling and sports betting, that changed after the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) and allowed all states to regulate betting if they desired to do so. 

Since that time, the NFL and its teams have increasingly embraced gaming and sports betting companies, with betting available at or near many of its stadiums. 

Bettors Backing Chiefs, Lions to Win Next Super Bowl

The NFL season kicks off on Thursday night when the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. But while the action hasn’t even begun yet, the NFL has already attracted a large number of futures bets on who will win the Super Bowl – another area in which the league towers over others in the United States. 

DraftKings and FanDuel both say the Chiefs have attracted the most bets and the most total handle to win the next Super Bowl. Kansas City is a +500 favorite to win a third consecutive title at DraftKings and have +550 odds at FanDuel.

However, it is the Detroit Lions who are the biggest liability at most sportsbooks, as they opened at long odds before tightening to +1200 at both FanDuel and DraftKings. The Lions have attracted the second most bets and handle at both sportsbooks. 

(Image: Wayne Parry / Associated Press)