When the Philadelphia Eagles triumphed in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans last month, it ended the Kansas City Chiefs’ hopes of a record three-peat, and avenged for the 2023 edition of the Big Game in which the result was reversed.
According to Statista, over 127 million Americans tuned in to watch the game, making it the most-watched Super Bowl in history, as well as the most popular TV program in U.S. history.
The game was a huge betting success, too, with the American Gaming Association estimating that $1.39 billion would be bet on the game. With the Eagles heavy underdogs heading into Super Bowl Sunday, operators in the U.S. were relieved to see them come out on top and avoid the huge payouts that would have come with the Chiefs’ now doomed three-peat.
One such operator celebrating last month’s result is bet365, which enjoyed a successful period of trading throughout the game.
“A Philadelphia victory was our preferred result for the Super Bowl Winner. Additionally, Saquon Barkley and Travis Kelce didn’t have the type of day that many hoped for, which ended up being good for us, says Aron Wattleworth, trading leader at bet365.
“For the Super Bowl this year, we experienced a good result pre-game, in play, and overall between our Futures position on Kansas City and overall heavier action that backed the Chiefs for the Super Bowl main game lines betting.”
This year’s Super Bowl’s popularity can be explained by the several storylines running through the campaign. As mentioned, the Chiefs were seeking to win a third consecutive title, which enticed many viewers and bettors. Another key selling point was the repeated final of 2023, as the Eagles got revenge after the Chiefs had beaten them two years ago.
These elements combined, Wattleworth says, meant that bettors were headed to sportsbooks in their droves.
“This matchup featured two unbelievable teams – one on the verge of history and the other looking for payback,” says Wattleworth. “As always, our goal is to create the best sports betting experience for our customers, and the massive hype around this Super Bowl placed us in a great position.
“A few bettors pulled off some incredible wins. For example: Imagine betting $20 and taking home $20,000. One bettor did exactly that, as they nailed the final score of 40-22 at +100,000.
“Another customer, in Canada, took advantage of our 59% Profit Boost Token and won $27,070 from a $40 bet.”
Despite these individual big wins, bet365 says it traded positively in this year’s Super Bowl and, if other operator’s December results are anything to go by, the firm’s traders would have sighed in relief.
December was notoriously tough for sportsbooks in the U.S., as multiple operators cited overwhelmingly favorable sports results, particularly in the NFL. But for bet365, the operator was content in its approach to the entire season, in which it brought NFL betting to new jurisdictions and delivered new markets to players.
“We saw a big increase in bet slips this year,” says Wattleworth .“Player props dominated the majority of slips, with Anytime TD Scorer leading the way.
“The resurgence of the running back position brought the prices for Anytime TD on the most prolific RBs become, at times, more popular than some ML parlays. For the majority of the season, many of them had short odds (-187 to -334 range), which led to Anytime TD parlays sparking huge growth in NA and across the globe.
As a direct result of the expansion into new states, we noted an increase in live betting and parlay betting. Despite seeing a lot of favorites win, our pregame house win percentage is higher than it was last year. The addition of new markets, (especially player prop offerings and boosts) combined with a major global increase in NFL action, accounted for some regions tallying over 60% increase YoY.”
bet365 is a rare example of a European-headquartered sportsbook that is continuing to invest in the U.S. opportunity in the second half of the 2020s as others either take a back seat or leave altogether. While Kindred’s Unibet has departed the market as well as Super Group’s Betway, bet365 has invested in a new U.S. headquarters in Denver, Colorado, where it hopes to add a considerable amount of new staff.
“Within the next five years, we are looking to hire nearly 1,000 employees across a spectrum of services including customer service, marketing, legal, finance, trading, software development, technology and more. Our sizable hiring objectives demonstrate bet365’s significant investment and commitment to the Denver community,” a bet365 spokesperson told SBC Americas in 2024.
“Our main priority in the U.S. is driving growth in our live states, and in the process, ensuring that the bet365 Never Ordinary experience, including the full range of markets, features and promotions, is enjoyed by all new and existing bet365 customers.”
While bet365 has not confirmed whether further state expansion is on the cards in the immediate future, the company has said it will look into other markets on an individual basis in order to deliver a “Never Ordinary experience” to players across the country.
But while the Super Bowl is the first major sporting event of the year, the operator is eager to look ahead to a full year of action to come, beginning with this month’s March Madness and including the new FIFA Club World Cup set to take place in the U.S. this summer.
As Wattleworth rounds up: “2025 is a Never Ordinary year for us! Our calendar is filled with major events like new state launches, features, and products. Additionally, readers can expect exciting offers, markets, and boosts for all major sporting events, including March Madness, Masters Golf, basketball and hockey playoffs, baseball, and the 2025 Club World Cup!”
