The year is 2024, and the NFL has all but admitted that sports betting is now acceptable.
Many people are betting on Super Bowl LVIII today, and a lot of the wagers and lines are coming out of America’s gambling capital and also this year’s home to the big game, Las Vegas. Hours before the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers kick off and pre-game bets are locked in, American Gaming Association president Bill Miller stopped by rolling out to describe what this all means for the progression and future of sports betting.
Why is the American Gaming Association here at the Super Bowl?
We’re in the business of making sure people understand the gaming industry, sports betting is becoming more and more legal. And that’s a really important thing.
There’s nothing that says that “we’ve arrived” more than having a Super Bowl here in Las Vegas. This is the epicenter of gaming.
What are some of the largest wagers going into this Super Bowl? Any bets that will change people’s lives?
There are a lot of ways you change your life this weekend, and betting on the Superbowl is not one.
Like I tell people all the time if you think that you’re going to make a living betting on sports and playing roulette, or craps or Blackjack, bad idea. Don’t do it.
Our view is, importantly, that the gaming industry, sports betting? It’s entertainment. It’s supposed to be fun, it’s supposed to be able to look at it from a budget perspective and say, “I can afford to lose this. And I’m not going to be crying about it at the end, or I’m still going to be able to buy groceries or pay rent.”
So look, you can change your life in a lot of different ways. Don’t change your life betting on sports.
It’s like Ricky Williams’ situation where 20 years ago, he was banned for marijuana, something that’s more acceptable in society and professional sports now. But how different do you think Pete Rose would have been treated if he played baseball in 2024 with betting becoming mainstream?
It is really important that it’s legal, and it’s regulated and taxed. The people who are in my business are held to account, and can lose their license, you can get fined. We take the trust that the government gives us in licensing very seriously. I think what we’ve seen now is leaves around the NFL have turned their selves around and said, “You know what? These are responsible partners. These are business partners.”
There’s nothing more that says that than hosting a Super Bowl here in Las Vegas. If there’s ever anything that says to you, “We have become fully mainstream as an industry.” It’s having a Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
What are the other benefits of sports betting moving away from the illegal market?
Nevada was the only state where you could legally bet on sports in America. We went from one to 38, plus D.C. In that what we’ve seen is there were estimates that there was $150 billion worth of betting in the illegal market before the states started legalizing it. Now, that number is about $64 billion. It’s still a big number, but what it says is we’re moving people away from the mob, the corner book or the offshore online website.
