GeoComply Reports Activity Increase in Online Betting for Super Bowl 59
An uptick in activity for some of our best sports betting sites as the battle against illegal sportsbooks continues.
Anti-fraud and geolocation compliance technology company GeoComply reported a 14% increase in active player accounts for its online sportsbook clients during Super Bowl weekend compared to last year. The increase suggests that more traffic is heading toward legal sportsbooks rather than unregulated ones. GeoComply works with an impressive list of sportsbooks, including BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel.
A key determinant of this transition is the relative regulatory action waged against illegal offshore sportsbooks. In states where regulators have vigorously pursued cease-and-desist orders against rogue operators, active sportsbook accounts increased twice that of states without such measures on file.
The last year
Since Super Bowl 58 last year, 14 states have filed legal actions against at least one major illegal sportsbook to expand the regulated market. In February 2023, GeoComply issued a call to action, calling on federal and state authorities to "increase the heat" on illegal online gambling.
GeoComply also offered some interesting insights regarding the sports betting activity during Super Bowl weekend. As part of the Louisiana sports betting market, New Orleans was especially active, logging nearly 535,000 geolocation transactions from more than 60,400 active accounts.
The surge in betting activities was heavy, with 150% more transactions and 220% more active users compared to the previous weekend.
A key metric of GeoComply's monitoring efforts was the creation of more than 724,400 new online wagering accounts across regulated states during the Super Bowl weekend.
During the Super Bowl, the company's systems recorded peak activity just before halftime, precisely after the Eagles scored a third touchdown. At that moment, a peak of 14,300 geolocation transactions per second was detected, representing the sports bettors engaging highly during points in the game that were filled with more action and taking advantage of the offerings of our best live betting sites.
Geolocation services paramount
GeoComply's findings support the premise that the continued growth of legal sports wagering in the U.S. depends on regulatory authorities making the climate conducive to doing so by driving down illegal gambling operations.
However, there is still room for improvement. The Campaign for Fairer Gambling commissioned a report from the technical intelligence platform Yield Sec that projected online betting activity related to Super Bowl LIX.
The newest figures by Yield Sec estimate that American bettors placed around $6.4 billion in online wagers on the championship game. Still, 75%, or about $4.8 billion, used illegal gambling operators, according to Yield Sec estimates. These estimates are based on the 429 million bets expected during Super Bowl weekend.
This total betting volume means only $1.6 billion will be spent through legal online sportsbooks.
