Super Bowl Drew Record Betting Volume Despite NC Bettors Remaining on the Sideline

During Super Bowl 58 weekend, verification check-ins by consumers using sports betting apps were up 22.3% compared to the previous year, according to data from GeoComply. This data sadly did not include North Carolina sports bettors, who spent their last year without legal online sports betting during the Super Bowl.

North Carolina will launch its legal sports betting market on March 11, just missing out on participating in the frenzy that is Super Bowl betting.

“The continued transition to the legal market set the stage for a historic first Super Bowl in Las Vegas, and the record-breaking results we saw did not disappoint,” said Anna Sainsbury, CEO and co-founder GeoComply.

Next February when the kickoff is made for Super Bowl 59, North Carolinians will be able to place wagers on a number of Super Bowl bet types for the big game.

Super Bowl 2024 set sports betting engagement records

GeoComply provides geolocation services for several sports betting apps, verifying that customers are within the boundary of a legal market.

Since the 2023 Super Bowl, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Maine, Vermont, and Puerto Rico added legal sports betting. Still, even with added legal jurisdictions, a 22.3% increase in geolocation activity from sportsbook apps over Super Bowl weekend indicates a huge boost in interest from sports fans across the country.

The Super Bowl, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, is the most-bet sporting event in the United States. This year for the first time it was played in Las Vegas, the cradle of legal sports betting and casinos. Observers admit that the event was an unqualified success.

According to data from GeoComply:

– There was a 15 percent increase in active online sportsbook accounts during Super Bowl weekend.

– In the two weeks preceding Super Bowl 58, the company reports that 1.77 million new users created online accounts with sportsbooks.

– Only minutes before the kickoff of Super Bowl LVIII, GeoComply reports that traffic on sportsbooks they provide services for saw a record-setting flurry of transactions, representing a boost of nearly 50% compared to the previous Super Bowl.

GeoComply compiled its data from 28 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It did not include data from Florida.

Crossing state lines, betting illegally were only options for NC sports bettors this year

This year, despite not having legal NC sports betting apps, some North Carolina sports fans traveled across the state border to submit wagers on the Super Bowl in states with regulated betting markets.

Others in North Carolina undoubtedly used illegal, offshore betting apps. The launch of sportsbooks in North Carolina will shield NC consumers from the dangers of using such products.

North Carolina sports betting launch under one month away

When North Carolina launches online sportsbooks on March 11, it will join 28 states and Washington D.C.

Starting on March 1, NC residents 21 and over can begin downloading apps, previewing NC sportsbook promos and funding their sports betting accounts.

A March 11 launch date not only allows North Carolinians to bet on March Madness, the greatest three-week period in sports (and sports betting) of the year. It also allows Tar Heel bettors to make wagers on the ACC Tournament, which begins March 12.

With less than a month to go, it’s time to start doing your betting homework. We recommend you start with a little required reading.

 

Image Credit: John Locher / AP Images

About the Author

Dan Holmes

Dan Holmes writes about sports betting, sports media, and sports betting legislative matters. He's the author of three books, and previously reported for Major League Baseball, as well as the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.