The American Gaming Association expects NFL wagers for the 2025-26 season to increase by 8.5 per cent year-on-year to US$30bn.
American Gaming Association
The US gaming trade association’s estimate is based on national betting handle growth to date in 2025 applied to last year’s estimated NFL season total, along with football-specific stats from select states used to calculate NFL’s share of overall wagers.
The estimate includes pre-season games and the Super Bowl, and factors in bets placed as early as March.
A $30bn total would eclipse 2024’s figure of $27.6bn.
"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," said AGA president and CEO Bill Miller.
"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."
The AGA’s estimate came as Flutter Entertainment brand FanDuel announced a new FanDuel Picks peer-to-peer fantasy sports product live in 17 states.
Users pick between three and six players to form a line-up and wager whether those players will perform better or worse against predicted metrics pre-game.
Customers earn points for every correct selection and those with the highest score win a share of a prize pool.
"Just in time for NFL season, we are excited to bring fans a social way to engage with the sports and athletes they love with the launch of FanDuel Picks," said Rob Cullen, FanDuel Picks general manager.
"The 'more' or 'less' selection model offers a streamlined fantasy sports experience, and we look forward to offering our customers another way to interact with games this season."
FanDuel Picks is live in many states where FanDuel does not have a traditional sports betting presence due to a lack of formal regulation, such as Georgia, Texas and Utah.