As the U.S. NFL sportsbook market experiences a decline in growth, Europe is presenting a unique challenge regarding the potential for the league's betting appeal to expand.
Heading into the 2026 NFL season, U.S. sportsbooks are facing their least optimistic growth forecast since the legalization of sports betting began nationwide. This comes at a time when the NFL is increasing its European schedule, and established operators in that region are reporting a significant uptick in betting activity for games held locally.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) anticipates that U.S. sportsbooks will handle $29.5 billion in NFL bets this season, nearly the same as the previous year’s estimated $29.4 billion.
On the other hand, H2 Gambling Capital takes a more conservative stance, predicting a regulated betting handle of $31.4 billion for U.S. football, reflecting a slight decline of 0.8%. Despite this, they project a 4% growth in underlying demand.
Citizens Equity Research offers a brighter outlook, estimating around 5% growth in regulated football betting, although this figure encompasses a broader range of football and is not strictly comparable to the NFL-focused estimates from AGA and H2.
While opinions differ regarding the extent of the slowdown in the U.S., Europe is shaping a distinct NFL betting landscape.
Although Europe’s NFL betting market is considerably smaller and lacks a unified figure for NFL wagers, data from operators in the U.K., Ireland, and Germany indicates that the league has become a significant betting product. Locally held games have notably increased engagement.
This distinction is crucial: Europe does not merely represent an expansion opportunity for U.S. sportsbooks; it serves as a separate evaluation of the potential for NFL betting growth as the league seeks to broaden its international reach.
NFL Betting Gains Traction in Europe
The most substantial historical growth has been observed in the U.K. and Ireland. In September 2025, Flutter reported a 30% increase in active NFL customers at Paddy Power over the previous year, with figures four times higher than in 2021.
American football's standing within Paddy Power's customer base has shifted dramatically, moving from 10th place among active U.K. and Irish bettors in 2019 to third place by 2024, trailing only soccer and horse racing.
Entain noted a similar pattern at the beginning of the 2024 NFL season, with NFL betting customers on Ladbrokes and Coral rising by 65% year-on-year. Bets increased by 60%, and stakes grew by 46%.
Recent data indicates that engagement around the league's marquee event continues to strengthen. During Super Bowl LX in February, Entain reported a third consecutive year of increased unique U.K. bet slips placed after midnight, with late-night betting activity rising by 13% since 2023.
Germany: A More Established NFL Betting Market
Germany exemplifies why Europe cannot be viewed as a single NFL betting market. Recent data from Tipico reveals that the NFL has carved out a notably stable position in Germany. Over the past five years, the NFL has consistently ranked fifth in betting turnover at Tipico during its September-to-February season.
The Super Bowl stands apart, generally recognized as the most-bet event on its day, with American football often ranking as the second or third largest sport on Super Bowl Sunday.
Tipico noted that Super Bowl turnover can reach levels comparable to major Bundesliga matches, such as Bayern Munich versus Borussia Dortmund, indicating that this event has truly entered the mainstream in Germany.