Super Bowl Sports Betting Activity Soars, Says Geolocation Service

Posted on: February 12, 2024, 09:56h. 

Last updated on: February 12, 2024, 11:40h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Super Bowl LVIII was one for the ages. Only the second Super Bowl to need extra minutes, the overtime classic resulted in record sports betting activity, a geolocation services firm said.

GeoComply assists legal online casino and sportsbook platforms in identifying the location of their customers before allowing them to wager via the internet. The company’s proprietary PinPoint technology uses Wi-Fi, GPS, and cellphone tower signals to isolate a customer’s location to ensure they’re located where such legal gaming is permitted, and the operator is licensed to facilitate the bet.

GeoComply told Casino.org after the Chiefs’ 25-22 win over the San Francisco 49ers that online sportsbook geolocation checks surged more than 22% during the Super Bowl weekend.

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 cofounder of GeoComply. “We are proud to help foster the growth of a regulated industry that puts accountability, security, and player protection at the forefront.”

The Chiefs were the underdog, with most books having the defending champs being spotted two points. The total went to the under by the narrowest of margins, as the 47 total points fell just below the 47.5 over/under BetMGM had before kickoff.

Kansas City has won three of the past five Super Bowls, and played in four. Patrick Mahomes’ only loss in the big game came against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during Super Bowl LV. Mahomes’ three Super Bowl wins rank fourth all-time behind Brady at seven, and Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana at four.

Sports Betting Expansion

GeoComply provides geolocation services in 27 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

“Compliance drives our mission, and with that commitment, we strive to help our customers reliably and responsibly expand the player funnel and boost their businesses. Every year the legal market grows is good news for consumers and states, and bad news for illegal offshore sportsbooks that become marginalized,” added Sainsbury.

Perhaps partly because of the Taylor Swift effect, the NFL season was wildly successful for legal sports betting operators. GeoComply says more than 13.7 million new sportsbook accounts were created since the 2023/24 season began back in September, a 28% increase from last season.

Teams in Nonsports Betting States

Chiefs and Niners fans living in Missouri and California were legally barred from placing a Super Bowl LVIII bet in the teams’ home states.

GeoComply said many Californians traveled to Nevada, Oregon, or Arizona. The firm said many Missourians ventured into Kansas, where online sportsbooks are legal.

Since the last Super Bowl, several new internet sports betting states have come online, including Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The other states where legal wagers were made during Super Bowl LVIII were Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Next year’s Super Bowl will include at least one additional online sports betting state — North Carolina — and possibly, Florida.