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Associations Make Their Winning Predictions For Super Bowl Sunday

As the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos prepare for kickoff on February 7, several associations are forecasting increases in betting, chicken wing consumption, and tax revenue.

Are you gearing up for Super Bowl 50 this Sunday? Before the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos hit the gridiron, here’s a look at some of the effects the big game will have on betting, snacks, and tax revenue, according to associations:

$4.2 Billion in Betting

Americans will wager $4.2 billion on this Sunday’s game, and 97 percent of those bets will be wagered illegally, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA). The association estimates that the illegal market is 35 times greater than the legal sports betting marketplace.

Sports betting in in 2015, approximately $149 billion, was up from nearly $145 billion in 2014.

“Just like football, sports betting has never been more popular than it is today,” Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of AGA, said in a statement. “The casino gaming industry is leading the conversation around a new approach to sports betting that enhances consumer protections, strengthens the integrity of games and recognizes fans’ desire for greater engagement with sports.”

Last year, AGA, in partnership with the National Association of Attorneys General, launched a new initiative—Stop Illegal Gambling—Play it Safe—to protect consumers against the dangers of illegal gambling.

1.3 Billion Chicken Wings

The National Chicken Council estimates that football fans will consume 1.3 billion chicken wings next weekend, according to the group’s 2016 Wing Report. That number is up 3 percent from last year—not surprising given the chicken wings elite first-place status in a recent “Super Bowl Snack Bracket” sponsored by the Today Show.

In case you’re wondering what 1.3 billion chicken wings looks like, the Council estimated that that’s enough for every man, woman, and child to have four wings a piece. The total weight—162.5 million pounds—is 6,325 times more than the combined weights of the entire Panthers and Broncos 52-man roster teams.  And, if that many wings were laid end to end, they would stretch between Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver almost 53 times.

Millions of Dollars in Tax Revenue

While some in San Francisco are worried about the costs of hosting the Super Bowl and events leading up to the game, other city business leaders are touting the potential gains in tax revenue. Phoenix, which hosted the Super Bowl last year, netted $1.5 million in tax revenue, Jim Lazarus, vice president of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, told the San Francisco Examiner.

“This Super Bowl will be a cost benefit to the city of San Francisco,” Lazarus said. “Hotel tax revenue alone, when you take a normal 80 percent occupancy and move it to 95 percent … you’re going to get $4 to $5 million net new hotel tax money for five days of the Super Bowl. Add sales tax, parking tax, utility taxes … this is a net positive event.”

San Francisco's Levi's Stadium, home of Super Bowl 50. (iStock Editorial/Thinkstock)

Katie Bascuas

By Katie Bascuas

Katie Bascuas is associate editor of Associations Now. MORE

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