Having the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX led to record wagering in Keystone State.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced on Thursday that the Big Game generated a $101.5-million handle, the most ever. But the underdog, in-state Eagles winning 40-22 as a slight underdog proved costly for online and retail sportsbooks.
“The Board noted in particular a high percentage of wagers placed on the Eagles to win,” the regulatory body said in a release.
Operators paid out $6.5 million more than they took in from bettors, marking just the second time since the Keystone State’s first legal wagering Super Bowl in 2020 that sportsbooks suffered a loss on the game. It also happened in 2020 when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20.
Role reversal
Last Sunday in New Orleans, Philadelphia captured its second Super Bowl win since 2017 and denied the Chiefs their third consecutive title. It was a huge reversal from 2023 when the same two teams met in Super Bowl LVII.
Pennsylvania sports betting sites hauled in a record $29.7 million in revenue from the Chiefs’ 38-35 victory in 2023. That game also produced the most wagers ($84.3 million) before 2025’s Super Bowl broke that record.
This year’s handle was up 20.9% from 2023 and 41.7% from 2024.
| Super Bowl years | Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $101.5 million | -$6.5 million |
| 2024 | $71.6 million | $11.1 million |
| 2023 | $84.3 million | $29.7 million |
| 2022 | $68 million | $4.6 million |
| 2021 | $53.6 million | $9.4 million |
| 2020 | $30.7 million | -$3.3 million |
What could’ve been
Typically, the Super Bowl isn’t a huge moneymaker for sports betting operators. The amount and various types of wagers on one game doesn’t always go in their favor.
However, that was not the case everywhere this year. Nevada, where Las Vegas is viewed as the Mecca for Super Bowl betting, set a state record with operators hauling in $22.1 million of profit, thanks to a 14.6% hold on a $151.6 million handle.
New York, the most lucrative sports betting market in the U.S., reported a win of $62.8 million on a $154.9-million handle, including futures market bets and game action.
Operators have also claimed Super Bowl LIX as a success. DraftKings told Covers that the online sportsbook was “very happy” with Sunday’s results. BetMGM called it the “single biggest event” and one of the “best single-game results” in the operator’s history.
That did not apply to their operations in the Keystone State.
