As we enter 2022, thoughts for sports fans around the world and particularly those in the United States, begin to turn to the Super Bowl. Super Bowl LVI will be played on February 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California and game will be shown live on NBC in the US. The Super Bowl is a massive event, not only for the teams who reach the showpiece occasion but for many other businesses and individuals.
Sportsbooks are a good example and there will be more legal online sportsbooks available in the United States for the upcoming Super Bowl than ever before. A look back through 2021 shows 11 states went ahead with some form of betting and 6 states legalized sports betting. Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, and North Carolina are all examples of states that now offer online gambling or will be doing so in 2022.
Some states are working to launch their sports betting offering to coincide with the Super Bowl. Sports betting was already legal at four upstate New York casinos but the Empire State legalized online betting on January 8, just in time for the Super Bowl in February 2022. In terms of attracting the most attention, launching a sports betting service ahead of the Super Bowl is a great idea and New York sportsbooks, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and FanDuel, will be expecting to enjoy a high number of wagers on the big game.
Louisiana is another state that could be launching legalized online sports betting ahead of the 2022 Super Bowl. Retail sports betting is already live in the state and provided there are no issues with the legislation, online sports betting could be legal in time for Super Bowl LVI.
Sportsbooks are already gearing themselves up for the big event and many of the leading online gambling brands in the United States have odds available for the 2022 Super Bowl. Offering special promos, enhanced odds, special bets, and offers such as free bets for Super Bowl is always a sure fire way for betting operators to draw in the customers.
At this stage, it is impossible to know which teams are going to be involved on the day and odds for the two teams will not go live until the completion of the AFC Championship and NFC Championship games. However, you can still find betting odds for the team to win the Super Bowl, which are mostly based on past performances and chances of qualifying for the playoffs. These odds provide punters with the opportunity to bet on the Super Bowl winner at better odds than on the day of the game. There are many teams still in contention to win the Super Bowl ahead of the playoffs and that is reflected in the betting odds.
If we look at the betting statistics for the 2021 Super Bowl, the numbers are incredible and it is easy to see why online bookmakers want to go live ahead of the game. Interestingly, in Nevada, $136.1 million was bet on the Super Bowl in 2021 and that was down from the $154.7 million bet in 2020. However, that figure is based on in-person betting and the famous Super Bowl parties in Nevada were hit due to COVID-19. Fortunately, online sports betting did not have the same problem and a glance at some of the figures in a selection of states across the country highlights what a huge event Super Bowl has become for sports gambling companies.
Taking New Jersey as an example, more than $117 million was wagered on Super Bowl LV, a massive increase of 116% compared to 2020. $6.5 million was bet on the Super Bowl in 2020 by punters residing in Iowa and that jumped to $16.2 million in 2021. Pennsylvania recoded an upward trend, with betting going from $30.6 million in 2020 to $53.6 million in 2021. As more legal mobile sports betting apps are released in the US, this figure is only going to increase and we expect to see records broken again in 2022. The introduction of legalized online sports betting in New York is only going to add to the overall amount of money wagered online for Super Bowl 2022. Many fans will be turning to their mobile phone as they bet and with in-play betting available, fans can enjoy a wager on their phones as the action unfolds.
Advertising is also big business during the Super Bowl and in 2021 DraftKings were one of the new brands to feature. Over $500 million was spent on in-game advertising during Super Bowl LV, at an average price of $5.6M per 30-second ad. Many of the advertising newcomers in 2021 were digital based companies and tried to engage fans with their mobile phones during the game. First time installs of mobile applications increased thanks to the Super Bowl advertising campaigns of digital companies, such as DraftKings, Vroom, and Robinhood. We are sure to see more digital companies advertising in the build-up and throughout Super Bowl LVI, including mobile sportsbooks.
