New data suggests legal NFL betting has hit an all-time high

The first week of NFL games generated not only touchdowns but also a record volume of legally placed sports bets, according to a geolocation company.

GeoComply Solutions, a Canadian tech company referenced by most of the legal U.S. sports betting industry, said Monday that it recorded a record number of transactions placed between Thursday night, when the NFL season began, through 7 p.m. on Sunday. The company reported 58.2 million geolocation transactions across 18 states and Washington, D.C. — a 126% increase from the same period of the 2020 NFL season, when GeoComply processed 25.8 million transactions. While not definitive, the figures help confirm an expected big increase in the level of online betting as football season got under way in a nation with many more places to bet this year.