Since pretty much every bro knows that nothing makes a sporting event more fun than gambling, the L.A. Times released a report with an estimated amount of money that will flood in from bets—and it absolutely blows my mind.
According to the report, viewers are estimated to spend a total of $4.2 billion on the Big Game, whether that means tossing cash by picking the winner, going with the over/under, some sort of prop bet, or just buying a square in an office pool.
While some will bet legally at Vegas casinos, most of the bets will be from wagers with friends or coworkers—even those who don’t watch football are expected to get in on the fun, according to Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino’s Jay Kornegay:
“A lot of people bet on only one game the entire season, and this is the one… We expanded the prop menu years ago because the games were so boring, and the prop bets help keep fans entertained even if the score is lopsided,” Kornegay said. “Certainly they have become a big part of Super Bowl weekend… I’ve also heard of people throwing prop parties when they get together in groups. They have a lot of fun with them.”
The chart below shows the amounts Americans have gambled on the Super Bowl legally in Las Vegas since 2003, with totals even higher in outside bets:
With no other single sporting event commanding as much betting as the Super Bowl—with sports website Pregame.com estimating that more than half of adult Americans will have money at risk on Sunday—chances are you, me, your mom and dad, brother/sister, aunt/uncle, and, yep, probably your grandma and grandpa have some cash waiting to throw down when the Broncos and Panthers battle one another.
I mean, shit, that $4.2 billion is coming from a lot of different people!