On Tuesday, legal sports betting giant FanDuel paid out every bettor who participated in the "Kick of Destiny."
For weeks leading up to the big game, FanDuel had been building up former All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski attempting a 25-yard field goal during the Super Bowl. For the public, those who bet at least $5 on the big game at FanDuel would split the $10 million pot... if Gronkowski successfully made the kick.
During a commercial break in the 3rd quarter, we all saw Gronk's kick ultimately sail far left:
However, FanDuel wasn’t going to put itself in a situation where bettors came up empty. It makes sense, considering that the retail and online sports betting site has a history of refunding bets even after players get injured during the game.
Even though Gronk missed the kick, FanDuel still paid out the pot — and even upped its investment in the Kick of Destiny by $17 million — following the massive level of interest in the promotion by the public.
Super Bowl was a cash cow
FanDuel is one of the top operators in every state it is licensed in, and it saw no shortage of action for the big game. Live in-game wagering continues to gain massive traction, and FanDuel had two million active players making bets during the game.
On top of that, FanDuel even peaked at 50,000 bets made per minute.
Microbetting company Simplebet also told Covers there was nearly a 50% increase in handle on Sunday versus last year's Super Bowl.
It certainly helped that the Super Bowl was played in a state with legal sports betting. GeoComply noted that there were over 100,000 at State Farm Stadium.
"Super Bowl LVII was a record-breaking event," GeoComply Co-Founder and CEO Anna Sainsbury said in a press release.
