U.S. sportsbooks won’t take Taylor Swift Super Bowl bets
Betting props are a big part of the Super Bowl for many, but it appears that none of them will involve the NFL’s newest star, Taylor Swift.
The Associated Press reported that U.S. sportsbooks won’t be hosting wagers involving the cultural phenomenon who also happens to be the girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Fans have been speculating whether she will appear at the game amid the Grammys and her upcoming Eras Tour shows in Tokyo, including a Feb. 10 date one day before the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
The amount of times she will be shown on TV and if she will celebrate on the field in the event the Chiefs win the big game have also been topics among Swifties and football fans.
But none of those bets can be legally made in the U.S. where betting laws vary from state to state and the general rule is that wagering is limited to what happens on the field. Generally, off-field bets are limited to offshore sportsbooks.
A handful of states allow bets to be placed on the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach, but even that type of wager is not allowed in Las Vegas. Despite being known as the longtime epicenter of sports betting in the U.S., Las Vegas actually has some of the strictest rules regarding the kinds of wagers made.
Swift’s romance with Kelce has become a major story in the NFL this season. Her presence at several games, including last week’s AFC Championship where she shared on on-field kiss with Kelce, has led to a ratings bump for several games and brought a new audience to football.
Others have been less thrilled about the attention the NFL is giving her, saying it is a distraction from the on-field play. Regardless, whether she will make the Super Bowl is a storyline. It just doesn’t seem like you will be able to bet on it.
BetMGM public relations manager John Ewing told the Associated Press that it makes sense not to allow bets on things apart from the on-field action, such as the length of the national anthem.
“We don’t want any subjectivity in a prop (bet),” Ewing said. “We want it to be either it won or it didn’t win or went over or went under, and that’s the concern for regulators as well. That’s why typically we stick to if it’s in the box score, it can be posted.”
Caesars Sportsbook assistant trading director Adam Pullen also gave a statement to the Associated Press.
“We’ve come a long way, but some stuff like we’re talking about here (about Swift) or betting on elections, there still might be a few years before we get to that point,” Pullen said. “But I like anything that drives action and gets people to bet. But we’re dependent on what the regulators in each particular state has to say.”
Kickoff between the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers is at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 11.
