09 September 2026
H2 Gambling Capital's NFL 2026-27 Season Preview forecasts a flat-to-slightly-down season for US regulated football betting, marking the first year-on-year decline in NFL handle since legalisation.
Across the full market, NFL handle (August-February) is forecast at $31.4bn, down 0.8% on 2025-26's $31.7bn, while NFL gross win is forecast at $3.5bn, down 2.0%.
The flat headline masks two offsetting forces. Underlying demand is still growing at around 4%, and Missouri's first full season adds a further $0.6bn. Both are more than offset by prediction-market operators such as Kalshi, which H2 estimates have diverted around $2.0bn of handle from licensed sportsbooks - a much larger effect in Florida, where DraftKings and FanDuel sell sports contracts against the sole licensed operator, Hard Rock Bet.
Read the full NFL Season Preview Report in the H2 Insights / Market Updates section of our dashboard.
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