Led by heavily-wagered football and basketball games, online and retail sportsbook BetMGM experienced a big year as legal sports betting exploded across the U.S. market.
“BetMGM saw mammoth growth in 2023 with an increase in popularity and expansion of legal sports betting. Nothing in the sports betting world compares to the Super Bowl, and this year we saw the Eagles fall to the Chiefs resulting in a record day for BetMGM. Additionally, everything from the NCAA men’s basketball champion UConn Huskies (who reached odds of +8,000) to the Denver Nuggets winning their first title proved to be great outcomes for the sportsbook."
- Matt Cosgriff, BetMGM Director of Retail Trading
NFL dominates action
It’s not a surprise that the Super Bowl was the most wagered event in 2023 for BetMGM. The Kansas City Chiefs’ 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia had the most tickets and the highest handle of any other BetMGM sporting event.
The AFC and NFC championship games were second and third, respectively, in both categories, while the rest of the Top 10 heaviest-bet games came from the NFL playoffs.
Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes was the most-bet NFL player and the top player for the book in 2023, while the Seahawks-Cowboys showdown on November 30 was the most profitable game for bettors in any sport.
Ohtani fever leads player bets
The most-bet athlete by tickets in 2023 was MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, the AL MVP who also led the league in wagers.
Denver Nuggets All-Star and NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic ranked second and was the most profitable player for bettors, with on Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James coming in third in ticket count.
The top three players on whom bettors won the most in 2023 were Jokic, Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell, and Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry.
Betting on Buffs
The Deion Sanders-coached Colorado Buffalos took college football by storm with attention and instant notoriety to start the season. Their 36-14 victory over Nebraska early in the season ranked as the second-most profitable game for any sport recorded by BetMGM in 2023, while the Buffs' season-opening game against TCU secured the third overall spot. Colorado also saw three of the highest numbers of tickets and three of the biggest handles in college football.
The 2023 College Football Playoff title game, which featured a Georgia blowout of TCU, was the most-bet game in the sport.
Basketball stands out
Tennessee’s rout of Duke in the NCAA tournament turned out to be the best non-football game of 2023 for the book, along with the Celtics’ Game 5 victory over the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA playoffs.
The NCAA championship game won by Connecticut was the most-bet college basketball game of 2023. The Final Four matchup between the Huskies and Miami came in second.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals saw the most action in the NBA for 2023, but Game 2 recorded the highest handle.
Other sports
The highest number of tickets for an MLB event came in Game 1 of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks, and Game 4 between the Philadelphia Phillies and Diamondbacks saw the biggest handle.
The NHL’s top game for tickets was Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers, while Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round matchup between Panthers and Boston Bruins recorded the highest handle.
Soccer’s top game for 2023 was the Champions League final between Inter Milan and Manchester City in both tickets and handle. The Women’s World Cup game featuring USA vs. Netherlands ranked No. 2 in both categories.
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