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Millions to bet on Super Bowl; ‘Indiana is still a top 10 state nationally’

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Super Bowl is just five days away in Glendale, Arizona.

Millions of people were expected to bet between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.

For a lot of people, the Super Bowl isn’t just about watching athletes play; it’s also about sports betting. Many Hoosiers will be doing just that.

“Despite having only 7 million people in the state, Indiana is still a top 10 state nationally when it comes to handle,” said, Chris Altruda, senior analyst at Better Collective.

“Handle” is the the amount of money in wagers accepted.

Jason Hammer, host of WISH-TV’s “All Indiana Bets” and a WIBC radio talk-show host, said, “It’s a sports town. It’s who we are. It’s kind of in our blood and now that we’ve got the chance to legally and — that’s the key word, ‘legally’ — bet on this kind of stuff, I think people are really excited.”

According to the Indiana Gaming Commission, the Indiana sports betting handle in 2022 was a whopping total of more than $4 billion online. Retail was over $380 million.

Altruda said, “A lot of it started in April of 2022 when the NFL made Draft Kings, Fan Duel, and Caesars official League partners.”

Hammer said, “You can bet everything from the coin toss, to the Gatorade, to the game coming up on Sunday, and I think that resonates with a lot of people and the more that it becomes mainstream the more people play.”

Austin Herdina, casino sports manager at Horseshoe Indianapolis near Shelbyville, says this year’s Super Bowl is already making an impact on business. “We’ve taken over a thousand wagers on the game already this week and we still have five more days until the game,” Herdina said Tuesday. “Right now, we’re seeing more people are betting on the Eagles than the Chiefs. I think that part of that is how big the Eagles have won their playoff games so far this year and Patrick Mahomes has an injured ankle.”

Horseshoe Indianapolis and other businesses involved in sports betting, of course, are asking people to bet responsibly.