Optimove Report: 84% of NFL Bettors Engaged in Live Betting Last Season

A new Optimove Insights survey reveals that 84% of National Football League (NFL) bettors placed in-game wagers last season, highlighting the rapid rise of live betting.

Optimove, an iGaming marketing technology company based in Tel Aviv, released its 2026/27 NFL Betting Intentions Report on Sept. 3, following an August survey of 926 U.S. adults.

The survey covers how bettors plan to wager, spend, and engage with sportsbooks this year.

Main takeaways from the report: Pre-game wagering is NFL bettors’ first preference heading into the 2026-27 season, named by 41%, followed by live betting during the game at 34%.

Among the respondents, 41% said they bet on NFL games regularly and 60% have already placed a bet on the upcoming season, such as a preseason game or Super Bowl futures bet.

Team loyalty and player performance are top motivators, rooted in emotional attachment rather than analysis. The strongest betting drivers for this upcoming season are individual football player performance (45%), followed by team loyalty (43%) and adding excitement to watching (43%). 

Emotion Drives Betting Decisions

Seventy-eight percent said they would certainly or very likely keep betting even after their team is eliminated from contention.

“Intentions collected in August describe a starting position, not a season,” Optimove CEO Pini Yakuel, noted.

“By week eleven, a bettor’s team may be eliminated from contention; they may be making live bets, and their weekly budget may already be spent. The sportsbook still needs the real-time insights to know which of those is true,” he added.

Spreads and Moneylines Lead

Point spread (59%) and moneylines (57%) are the leading planned wager types, followed by over/unders (43%) and parlays (29%).

Budgets are popular, according to the survey results – 81% of bettors set a budget for the season, with weekly budgeting most common at 41%, ahead of a season budget (24%). Sixteen percent said they put a cap on total spend, while 17% reported they had no specific budget.

According to the survey, 33% expect to spend around US$250 for the season, while 31% expect US$500 or more, and 26% expect around $100. 

On individual wagers, 33% plan to bet US$11-$50, 29% plan to bet US$201-$500, 19% plan to bet US$51-$200, and 10% plan to bet US$501 or more.

Most Bettors Set Budgets

Sixty-four percent of bettors expect to use two or more sportsbooks this season, with 16% using three or more.

Ease of use is the leading factor when selecting an operator (59%), outranking fast payouts (43%), promotions (31%), and personalization (28%).

Conversely, 47% cited app usability issues as the main reason for abandoning a platform, while 36% pointed to irrelevant or excessive marketing messages.

The new NFL season kicks off Wednesday night, Sept. 9, at Lumen Field in Seattle with a Super Bowl rematch between the Seahawks and New England Patriots.