As of my last update, the amount of money bet on the NFL each year is substantial and growing. According to various reports and estimates from the American Gaming Association (AGA) and other sources, the legal sports betting handle in the United States, which includes betting on the NFL, has been increasing rapidly since the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018, making sports betting legal at the federal level.
For the 2020 calendar year, the AGA reported that the total legal sports betting handle in the U.S. was approximately $13.9 billion. The NFL is typically the most bet-on league in the United States, with the football season spanning from the summer through the early months of the following year. It’s estimated that a significant portion of that total, often cited as around 40-50%, is comprised of NFL-related wagers.
However, these figures only account for legal sports betting. There is also a substantial illegal betting market in the U.S., which is difficult to quantify precisely but is estimated to be significantly larger than the legal market.
Please note that these numbers are subject to change as the sports betting landscape continues to evolve, and more states in the U.S. legalize and regulate sports betting. For the most current figures, you would need to refer to the latest reports from the AGA or other authoritative sources in the gaming industry.