Taylor Swift’s Super Bowl Effect: Are Women Betting More Than Ever?

Novelty Bets and Half-Time Shows

Betting on most novelty bets is not legal in the US, in part due to the legality and bookmakers' fears that information for predetermined events might leak. Despite this, 74% of bettors believe that novelty bets on the halftime show should be legal. These fears of insider knowledge also don’t seem to put women off. In a survey of sports bettors, 75% of women said they would bet on events during the halftime show if it were offered legally, compared to 43% of men.

In some states, novelty bets are not only legal but also offer a glimpse into the quirky side of sports fandom. One such example is betting on the color of the Gatorade that will be dumped on the winning coach's head in celebration. This peculiar wager has become a staple of American football culture. Interestingly, Taylor Swift's presence at the game has now influenced this trend, with some bookmakers going as far as to offer odds on whether Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs' star tight end, will propose to Taylor Swift after the game.

Will Travis Propose After The Game?

Bookmakers are skeptical, heavily favoring a "no" with an 89% probability that Travis will not get down on one knee and pop the question after the game. Despite these long odds, fans and enthusiasts alike will still place their bets, hoping to cash in on a romantic upset.

Karma’s a Bet: Taylor Swift’s Role in Super Bowl Odds

Taylor Swift hasn’t just impacted women betting on the Super Bowl and novelty bets, it has changed the face of the sports bets themselves. One bookmaker, Draft Kings, is offering a selection of Taylor Swift song-inspired bets on the football itself. Here is a selection of some of the music-inspired bets that are on offer.

The last Super Bowls featuring the Chiefs have been close-fought games. In both of the two previous Super Bowls, they came from behind after the end of the first half to win. With that in mind, it might be a long-shot for them to lead at some point by 14 points. However, their form this season has been much stronger than in the 2023 season.

On the other end, Travis didn’t score a touchdown in his last two Super Bowl appearances, meaning it would be an extraordinary achievement to score two.

Taylor Swift Effect on the Chiefs?

No team in the National Football League has ever achieved the remarkable feat of winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy three years in a row. The Kansas City Chiefs, however, are on the cusp of making history. Having secured a spot in the Super Bowl for the third consecutive year, they are just one victory away from etching their name in the record books.

With an 86.36% win rate in games Swift has attended, compared to 72.22% in those she hasn’t, some fans believe the “Taylor Swift effect” is real. She will undoubtedly be in the suite again this Sunday, will the Taylor Swift effect again impact the result on Sunday night?

Methodology

Taylor Swift-inspired bets were taken from Draft Kings Super Bowl bets and Bet MGM’s stats. Data on female bettors was taken from a 2024 study by Statista on participation in sports betting in the U.S. Data on the types of bets that men and women would like to place are taken from a survey in December 2024.