While the Philadelphia Eagles were the biggest winners on Sunday thanks to their 40-22 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, data released after the big game shows most sportsbooks also enjoyed a successful weekend.
GeoComply, which provides geolocation and other anti-fraud solutions for online sports betting operators, reported early Monday that its online sportsbook partners had 724,400 new accounts created during Super Bowl weekend. That’s a significant number, especially when you consider that only one state – North Carolina – has launched online sports betting since last year’s Super Bowl.
GeoComply said its clients saw a combined 14% increase compared to last year in activity among active players throughout Saturday and Sunday. Further, GeoComply found that the increase was double in states that have called on offshore sportsbooks, like Bovada, to stop taking wagers from bettors in their jurisdictions.
“When states take enforcement action, we see a correlation with increased engagement on our customer’s platforms,” GeoComply CEO and Co-Founder Anna Sainsbury said in a statement. “More fans are choosing legal sportsbooks, driven by stronger consumer protections and enhanced user experiences. This means even greater tax revenues to support local communities and promote responsible growth while reducing reliance on illegal sportsbooks.”
Pennsylvania is one of 17 states that requested Bovada to cease its operations, with the operator complying with that request in September. Sports betting in some fashion is legal in 38 US states plus the District of Columbia.
Of note late Thursday, however: Pennsylvania sportsbooks lost a net $6.5 million on Super Bowl LIX, according to figures released Thursday by the state gaming control board.
Sportsbooks Took Hit On Moneyline
For Pennsylvania specifically, sportsbooks likely took hits on moneyline and point spread wagers for the Eagles, who were a slight underdog to the Chiefs. However, Keystone State operators likely made something back thanks to wagers on Saquon Barkley.
The star running back who broke the 2,000-yard barrier this season, finished with just 57 yards on 25 carries with no touchdowns. It was the second-lowest output for Barkley in either a regular-season or a playoff game this season. However, the Chiefs’ focus on stopping him allowed quarterback Jalen Hurts to earn Super Bowl MVP honors by going 17-for-21 for 221 passing yards and two scores. Hurts also gained 72 yards and ran for a touchdown.
While any losses would affect the amount of money the state gets through the 34% tax on adjusted sportsbook revenues, the money won by in-state bettors also benefits Pennsylvania in a myriad of ways.
Although betting activity rose from last year, it was likely stymied a bit thanks to the game’s one-sidedness. Philly led 24-0 at halftime and 34-0 with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter. According to Sportico, Super Bowl LIX was the second-least exciting of all the NFL championship games since 2001. It based excitement by adding changes in win probability after each play, with fourth-quarter plays earning a bonus.
FanDuel, DraftKings Report 28M+ Super Bowl Bets
FanDuel, which uses GeoComply, announced it saw a nearly 20% increase in betting traffic this past weekend compared to last year. In all, nearly 3 million registered users placed more than 16.6 million wagers in the 25 states and DC where the Flutter Entertainment brand offers either online or retail sports betting or both.
Meanwhile, DraftKings, which also utilizes GeoComply, announced more than 2.5 million of its customers placed more than 12 million wagers on the Super Bowl. The Boston-based operator also reported its app was the top free sports and third most downloaded overall at Apple’s App Store. Fine news for DraftKings Sportsbook Pennsylvania, despite the hit across the game itself.
At its peak, FanDuel reported taking up to 70,000 bets per minute on the contest, and DraftKings said its peak came moments before kickoff, when it processed nearly 60,000 wagers a minute.
Leading up to the game, Barkley was the top pick for FanDuel bettors to score a touchdown and win MVP honors. Hurts was the bettors’ second choice for MVP.
While many FanDuel bettors missed out on bets for Barkley, the sportsbook reported a majority of fans hit the over, which was set at 48.5 points at kickoff.
