The Super Bowl is weeks away, and experts predict the big game will bring a bountiful harvest for the Arizona sports betting industry.
When Super Bowl LVII kicks off on Feb. 12, Arizona will make history as the first state with legal sports betting to host the NFL championship. And with the milestone comes sky-high number projections.
In October – the latest figures from the Arizona Department of Gaming – Arizona sportsbooks saw more than $618 million in bets. The number is the second highest for a single month since the state legalized the sector.
But with the biggest sporting event in North America taking place in Glendale, industry figures believe a record-setting month is just around the corner. PlayAZ predicts the state could see $63 million in Super Bowl betting this year. Arizona books saw $55 million in Big Game bets last year.
That number isn’t so far-fetched when you look at the numbers from the last fiscal year. Arizona sports bettors wagered $1.5 billion during that time frame.
Plenty of options for Super Bowl betting
Every sportsbook will be on its a-game on Super Bowl Sunday.
But aside from the basic point spread, moneyline and point total bets, sportsbooks know bettors want more. Looking specifically at Caesars, the sportsbook will have thousands of options for hungry bettors in February.
David Grolman, of Caesars, told FOX 10 Phoenix:
“We have over 2,000 ways to bet the Super Bowl. We come out with a prop sheet with 600 different prop wagers. Everything from ‘will the coin flip be heads or tails?’ to ‘will the first score be a safety?’”
Arizona’s last Super Bowl had ‘largest economic impact’
The year 2023 marks the third Super Bowl played in Arizona. The first came in 2008 when the New York Giants toppled the New England Patriots. The second was in 2025 when the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks.
The Big Game in 2015 game generated a $700 million economic impact, according to a study by the Arizona State’s W.P. Carey School of Business. At the time, it was the most profitable Super Bowl game in NFL history.
“(The 2015 Super Bowl) is the largest economic impact of any event ever held in the state of Arizona,” the release said.
Record-setting sports betting in Arizona
As Boan explained, March 2022 was Arizona’s largest sports betting handle. It’s not necessarily a surprise, given that the NCAA Tournament takes place at that time. It’s a time when college basketball’s postseason is in full swing, and seemingly everyone is putting together can’t-lose brackets. Various sportsbooks advertised promotional offers around the Big Dance, too.
Arizona fully immersed in sports betting
Arizona legalized sports betting in September 2021. Since then, it’s proven to be a major hit, with at least 18 sportsbooks available to bettors.
The state embraced the industry the moment it went live. BetMGM Arizona operates a sportsbook at State Farm Stadium – the home of Super Bowl LVII.
FanDuel, the state’s second-most popular sportsbook in terms of October handle, owns a 7,400-square-foot retail sportsbook in Phoenix located at the Footprint Center. DraftKings will open a sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale later this year.
Professional teams got into the action, too. The Arizona Coyotes are sponsored by Gila River Casino.
October sports betting up more than $100 million YOY
October’s sports betting handle displayed positive growth year-to-year. Specifically, 2022’s numbers were $132 million more than the same month in 2021.
“It’s clear Arizona’s sports betting industry continues to grow,” ADG director Ted Vogt said in a release. “With Super Bowl LVII and the Phoenix Waste Management Open on the horizon, I am excited to see how these major sports tourism events impact the state’s sports betting industry in the coming months.”
Plenty of Super Bowl activities in Arizona before kickoff
Earlier this month, the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee and the NFL announced a handful of activities for fans.
Super Bowl events will take place in Chandler, Mesa, Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe.
For instance, chef Bobby Flay will host a tailgate in Glendale on Feb. 12. The NFL hosts its awards show in Scottsdale on Feb. 9. Shaq’s Super Bowl Fun House party takes place on Feb. 10 in Scottsdale, too.
