8. Gambling on the Super Bowl became a billion-dollar industry
Contrary to popular belief, the Super Bowl is not the most heavily wagered sports event on the American calendar. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament, known as March Madness, sees more money wagered on its games and outcome. Nonetheless, wagering on the Super Bowl is so large that it can only be estimated. Statisticians can only guess the amounts of wagers between friends and coworkers. Money bet in office pools, at neighborhood bars, and during Super Bowl parties isn’t included in most estimates of money wagered on and during the game.
Bets aren’t limited to who wins the game, nor even the point spread. Bettors can wager on whether a safety occurs in the game, the number of interceptions thrown, the length (in time) of scoring drives, whether highlights of past games are shown, and other arcana. TopBet, a UK betting site, offered wagers including which beer company’s advertisement would appear first during past Super Bowls. Though the NFL officially does not endorse gambling, point spreads and odds are freely discussed during pregame shows throughout Super Bowl week, as they are throughout the entire NFL season. Pregame analysts hold contests among themselves and broadcast to fans before the games. According to the American Gaming Association, nearly $6 billion was wagered by Americans on the Super Bowl in 2020.
