NFL bettors are expected to wager approximately $30 billion on the league this season with legal sportsbooks in the United States, according to an estimate released Thursday by the American Gaming Association.
The $30 billion figure is approximately an 8.5% increase from a revised estimate of $27.5 billion last year and is based on the national growth of wagering in 2025 and statistics from states that report football-specific betting data, according to the AGA, which represents the gaming industry in the U.S. The amount includes money bet on futures wagers, such as the odds to win the Super Bowl, and individual games from the preseason through Super Bowl LX, but only at traditional sportsbooks in the U.S.
Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have legal betting markets with licensed sportsbooks. Americans also stake money on the NFL with daily fantasy sites, sweepstakes operators and prediction markets that allow customers to trade on sports outcomes such as buying and selling stocks. A spokesperson for Kalshi, a popular prediction market site, said $62.5 million has been traded on the NFL already this year.
In 2024, more bets were placed -- and more money was wagered -- on the NFL than any other league at sportsbook DraftKings, despite there being significantly fewer games compared to the NBA and Major League Baseball.
A 2024 survey by the National Council on Problem Gambling found that "risky gambling behaviors" have leveled off after rising significantly from 2018 to 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic and with the rapid expansion of sports betting in the U.S.
Sports leagues and players' unions have reported upticks in threats by bettors made online to athletes, coaches and officials. The NFL says its security team monitors social media and online platforms and conducts background checks on individuals making threats.
The NFL season kicks off Sept. 4, with the Dallas Cowboys visiting the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.