The new National Football League season will be bigger and better than ever in terms of legal sports wagers, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).
The AGA has estimated that there will be $30 billion in legal wagering on the 2025 NFL season, through authorised US sports betting apps and retail sportsbooks.
That would represent an 8.5% increase on last season’s handle of $27.6 billion and set a new NFL wagering record.
The estimate considers legal wagers throughout the NFL season, from preseason games, futures booked as early as March, the playoffs and SuperBowl LX which will be hosted by Levi’s Stadium Santa Clara, California, on February 8, 2026.
When Does The 2025 NFL Season Start?
The 2025-26 NFL season gets underway on September 5, with the Dallas Cowboys visiting SuperBowl LIX champions Philadelphia Eagles, continuing one of the NFC East’s great rivalries.
Eagles completed a season sweep against the Cowboys last year, winning 34-6 in Dallas and 41-7 at Lincoln Financial Field.
At present there are 38 states plus Washington DC that allow legally regulated sports betting in some shape or form, and Missouri will become the 39th state when it opens its doors to retail sportsbooks and online sports betting sites from December 1 this year.
The report also gave the AGA the opportunity to remind bettors of its national campaign Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly.
AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said: “This season, fans have more ways than ever to responsibly engage with the game they love.
“Legal sports betting enhances the fun and friendly competition that make NFL games and traditions even more special.
“With strong consumer protections and a shared commitment to responsibility, the legal, regulated sports betting industry encourages all footballs fans to have a game plan before placing a bet and ensure their gameday experience – regardless of the outcome of a bet or the game – remains enjoyable.”
AGA Wary Of Unregulated Sportsbooks
While optimistic about the potential tax revenues that $30 billion in sports betting would generate, there is still concern about unregulated gambling in the US.
At the start of August, new AGA analysis revealed illegal gaming remains nearly a third of the US market.
The report estimated that American bettors had wagered $84 billion with unregulated or offshore sportsbooks, with a revenue approaching $5 billion for sports betting, depriving state governments of around $1 billion in taxes each year.
The study was conducted by The Innovation Group on behalf of the AGA and was conducted with 2,454 US adults who agreed to take part.
Jim Munro is a betting industry and gambling expert who has been a national newspaper journalist for over 30 years, predominantly at The Sunday Times and The Sun, where he wrote a weekly soccer betting column. Jim also worked on the launch of Virgin Bet with Gamesys and was subsequently head of editorial at LiveScore, the sports media and betting group.
