As many as 50 million Americans -- 20% of the adult population -- are expected to make some kind of wage on the upcoming Super Bowl, according to the American Gaming Association.
And, locally, everyone from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to the Legoland Discovery Center Philadelphia are getting in on the act.
Gubernatorial Gamble
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Earlier this week, Shapiro announced a wager on the game with both Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly ahead of Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. The first-term Democrat must be feeling confident betting against two colleagues.
“Like millions of Pennsylvanians, Lori and I are excited to cheer on the Philadelphia Eagles and watch them bring the Lombardi Trophy back to the Commonwealth,” Shapiro said in a statement. “Pennsylvania is home to the greatest small businesses in the country – and while I love to share the best Pennsylvania has to offer with my friends in other states, the Eagles have been so good this season that I’m willing to double down on a win this week. Go Birds!”
A statement from Shapiro's office notes that, ahead of the game, Missouri Gov. Parson and Shapiro will exchange Eagles and Chiefs flags – and the governor of the losing team will hang the flag of the winning team in their office next week.
As part of the wager with Kansas Gov. Kelly, Shapiro has bet an assortment of food from Pennsylvania small businesses, including soft pretzels from Philly Style Hand Twisted Soft Pretzel Bakery in Levittown, Bucks County, cheesesteaks from Tony Luke’s in Philadelphia, and Eagles Mini Donuts from Collegeville Italian Bakery in Montgomery County.
Kelly wagered Creekstone Farms Black Angus Beef and chocolate-covered sunflower seeds.
The losing governor will send the winner those local foods.
Senatorial shakedown
U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D, Delaware) and Jerry Moran (R, Kansas) -- who note, in a statement that they are the two senators who live in the closest proximity to the Eagles and Chiefs, respectively -- are placing a friendly wager on the outcome of the Super Bowl.
“As the closest senator to Philadelphia, I’m proud to put the best of our region on the line and bet some world-class Delaware beer and chicken wings that the Birds will barbecue the Chiefs at the Super Bowl this weekend,” Coons said in a statement. “I can’t wait to celebrate up and down the Delaware River when the Eagles win.”
As for their wager, the in joint statement, the senators said Moran has promised some world-class Kansas City barbecue to Coons’ senatorial office and Coons has vowed Dogfish Head beer from Milton, Delaware, and chicken wings from Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken Express in Wilmington.
Mayoral matchup
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has put pizza and beer on the line against Quinton Lewis, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri.
Prosecutors lay it on the line
Not wanting to be left out of the fun, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has stepped up to wager against a pair of officials from the Midwest -- prosecutor Jean Peters Baker of Jackson County, Missouri, and District Attorney Mark A. Dupree, Sr., of Wyandotte County, Kansas -- on the game.
Whoever loses this wager has agreed to provide signature items sold by local and Black-owned businesses to the winning team’s prosecutor’s office after the big game. In addition, whoever's team does not prevail will agree to wear the logo of the winning Super Bowl championship team at a community event in the very near future.
Drinks are on you
A pair of regional breweries have entered the fray with a wager over some signature suds.
Flying Fish, based in Somerdale, New Jersey, has made a friendly wager with the Kansas City Bier Co.
In a joint statement, the companies said that, if Philly wins, the KC Bier Co. will send their beer to Flying Fish, but KC has to wear Eagles shirts and hang the Eagles flag in their taproom.
And, the statement noted, if KC wins, Flying Fish has to send beer to KC and wear their gear and hang a Chiefs flag in the taproom. The losing brewery will also make a donation to the charity of the winner's choosing.
Betting the bricks
Legoland Discovery Center Philadelphia is also getting involved in Super Bowl excitement as the store has challenged Legoland Discovery Center Kansas City to a very buildable bet.
In a statement shared by Legoland, the city that loses the big game must create a Lego build selected by local fans, that represents the winning city and place it in the attraction's mini-figure football stadium.
And, visitors to the Legoland Discovery Center Philadelphia this weekend will see that builders have filled the replica of the Philadelphia stadium with more than 200 of Philadelphia’s smallest fans, Lego minifigures, to root the local team to victory.
In a statement, Legoland noted that, in anticipation for the Eagles winning the game, a few of the minifigures can be seen hard at work greasing the light poles, just in case.
