Investment bank Citizens Financial is forecasting that legal sports betting handle on the Super Bowl LX will drop 2% year-on-year to $1.5bn.
One reason given for the slower projections for Super Bowl LX is the somewhat underwhelming matchup of the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. It doesn’t have the same appeal as last year’s Kansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles matchup, when household names like Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley were involved. There was also a lot of attention from casual viewers, who focused on the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce relationship.
Kalshi reported $661m in NFL-related activity for the week ended January 19
There is also the explosion in interest in prediction market platforms over the past 12 months. Kalshi reported $661m in NFL-related activity for the week ended January 19, which significantly eats into the market for traditional sportsbooks. Missouri is also the only new state to launch sportsbooks in the intervening period, which rules out any big gains from new markets.
The analysts noted that the 523,000 app downloads on Super Bowl Sunday in 2025 were 45% higher than any other single-day total for the year. However, the users that sportsbooks acquire during the lead-up to the big game are not usually of the highest quality.
Some operators are bracing themselves for an expensive Super Bowl. One BetMGM bettor stands to win $3m from a $50,000 bet if the Seahawks win. Circa Sports has similar seven-figure liabilities from bets placed during the preseason. BetUS currently lists the Seahawks as 5-point favorites to beat the Patriots on February 8.
