GeoComply Reports Increased Super Bowl Activity

• GeoComply reported a 22% increase in Super Bowl activity over last year’s event
• 8.5 million active accounts across states were online sports betting is legal
• 1.77 million new users signed up for legal online sports betting accounts in last two weeks

Another Super Bowl, another Super Bowl record.

GeoComply, a geolocation compliance company, announced a 22.3% increase in geolocation checks throughout the Super Bowl weekend, surpassing last year’s figures. The company also saw more than 1.77 million new users sign up for a legal sports betting account in the last two weeks leading up to the big game.

Since the start of the football season, GeoComply reported that the sportsbook operators it serves have added more than 13.7 million new accounts, a 28% increase from last season.

Millions Active During Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is typically the apex of sports betting in the U.S. and this year was no exception. GeoComply noted in a press release that it saw 8.5 million active accounts across states where online sports betting in legal across Super Bowl weekend, a 15% increase over last year’s Super Bowl.

“The continued transition to the legal market set the stage for a historic first Super Bowl in Las Vegas, and the record-breaking results we saw did not disappoint. We are proud to help foster the growth of a regulated industry that puts accountability, security and player protection at the forefront,” said Anna Sainsbury, CEO and Co-Founder of GeoComply, in a release.

Neither Missouri or California, home to the Chiefs and 49ers, have legalized sports betting. Despite the two home states of either Super Bowl team prohibiting sports betting, GeoComply saw traffic totaling 14.75 thousand transactions per second before kickoff, the highest transactions per second rate recorded by the company.

Its Super Bowl data is based on its aggregated geolocation transaction for its U.S. sportsbook customers in regulated states. The data does not include Florida.

“Compliance drives our mission, and with that commitment, we strive to help our customers reliably and responsibly expand the player funnel and boost their businesses. Every year the legal market grows is good news for consumers and states and bad news for illegal offshore sportsbooks that become marginalized,” Sainsbury said.

This is pretty interesting as well. The Geolocation map of Missouri (where sports betting is illegal) and neighboring Kansas (where sports betting is legal) during the Super Bowl. https://t.co/Is8qgaBMDL

— RLinnehanXL (@RLinnehanXl) February 12, 2024

California, Missouri Sports Betting Quagmire

Neither of the two Super Bowl team states have legalized sports betting, and that’s likely to not change anytime soon.

Recently, two California sports betting ballot initiatives were pulled off the table by their sponsors after finding little to no support from state tribes. The proponents who sponsored the ballot initiatives, which would have legalized retail and online sports betting for California tribes, have decided to not attempt to collect the necessary 874,000 valid signatures to place them on the November general election ballot.

The decision came just three weeks after the California Attorney General released circulating titles and summaries for the initiatives and gave the go-ahead for signature collecting to begin.

With the repeal of the initiatives, serious California sports betting discussions will likely not take place until 2026 at the earliest. 2026 will be the next opportunity the tribes or sports betting operators will have to submit a sports betting ballot initiative to the voters for their approval.

Proponents of California sports betting will have to wait until 2026 for a chance at another sports betting ballot initiative, as regular elections are held in the state every even year.

Missouri likely will again not get anything done in the legislature this year. Rep. Dan Houx (R-54) introduced HB 2331 to legalize retail and online sports betting in the state with a tax rate of 10% on adjusted gross revenue. Under his proposal, Missouri’s 13 casinos would be able to offer retail sports betting and partner with up to three operators for online sports betting.

A Special Committee on Public Policy recommended the bill “do pass” by a 5-2 vote last week, but it likely stands little chance if it moves to the Senate. The Missouri Senate has been mired in chaos this session, which threatens to derail any slim chance a bill had at passing through the chamber this year.

While efforts in the legislature may fail, the Winning for Missouri Education campaign committee is still moving ahead with signature collecting to allow Missouri voters to decide the fate of sports betting in the state.

The campaign, which represents interests of the St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis CITY SC, and the Kansas City Current, have started collecting the necessary 171,592 verified signatures to place a sports betting initiative on the state’s November general election ballot.

The committee recently pointed to the results of a FOX4 and Emerson College poll that surveyed 1,830 registered Missouri voters, which found that 62% of the respondents supported legalizing sports betting to help fund Missouri education.