Report: Super Bowl bets up 75% this year across Pennsylvania

Pennsylvanians legally bet more money this Super Bowl compared to last year, according to the state Gaming Control Board.

Preliminary figures suggest that $53.6 million was bet at sportsbooks across the state on Sunday’s game, which saw the underdog Tampa Bay Buccaneers wallop the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. This year’s handle was 75% more than the $30.6 million wagered through Pennsylvania casinos in 2020 — which was before the pandemic arrived.

That increase came after national predictions suggested fewer people would wager on the game due to the coronavirus.

A report released by the American Gaming Association prior to the game projected 23.2 million Americans would bet $4.3 billion on this year’s Super Bowl. That’s a decrease from the 26 million Americans who were expected to wager $6.8 billion on the Super Bowl last year.

Of bets wagered across the country, 7.6 million were expected to be placed virtually, up 63% year-over-year. Pennsylvanians, who could place bets at 15 retail locations or on 12 online or mobile operators this year, seemingly took advantage of online gambling this year.

Of wagers placed in the state, $47.4 million was wagered online compared to $24 million last year. In-person wagers decreased by $591,000 in Pennsylvania, data show. Betters wagered $6.1 million at sportsbooks this Super Bowl, compared to $6.7 million last year.

Data from GeoComply, a company specializing in geolocation and compliance technology, suggests that 320,000 unique users in Pennsylvania logged onto online sports wagering sites this past Sunday, compared to 200,000 unique visitors during last year’s game.

The increase in online wagers resulted in operators generating about $9.4 million in revenues. That follows last year in which operators saw a revenue loss of $3.3 million after payouts totaled over $34 million.

A breakdown showing wagers placed at individual casinos during the Super Bowl was not yet available.