Super Bowl Sportsbook Status: Which Betting Apps Crash on Game Day?

The Super Bowl is the single biggest betting day in America. $16 billion wagered in 2025. More bets placed in four hours than most regular season Sundays combined.

And every single year, multiple sportsbooks crash.

Not "slow down a little." Not "minor delays." Full-on, can't-place-a-bet, refresh-the-app-desperately crashes.

If you're planning to bet the Super Bowl in 2026, you need to know which sportsbooks historically handle the load—and which ones melt down when you need them most.

Why Super Bowl Crashes Are So Common

Think about what happens to sportsbooks on Super Bowl Sunday:

10 AM - 12 PM ET: Early prop betting rush (will Gatorade be orange? How long will the anthem last?)

4:30 PM - 6:30 PM ET: Pre-game betting tsunami (spreads, totals, player props, same-game parlays)

Kickoff (6:30 PM ET): Live betting explosion

Halftime: Second massive volume spike (everyone who "wasn't going to bet" suddenly wants action)

Fourth Quarter: Live betting chaos + hedge frenzy

For context: Super Bowl betting volume is 8-12x higher than a typical NFL Sunday. Sportsbooks know it's coming. They prepare. And some still fail.

Super Bowl LIX Crash Report (February 2025)

Here's what actually happened during the most recent Super Bowl (Chiefs vs. Eagles):

FanDuel: B+ Grade

• Pre-game: Stable, minor slowdowns during prop rush (10-11 AM ET)
• Kickoff: Clean performance
• Halftime incident: 12-minute partial outage (6:47 PM - 6:59 PM ET) affecting live betting
• Fourth quarter: Recovered fully, stable through finish
• Overall: Best large-platform performance, but that halftime outage hurt

DraftKings: B Grade

• Pre-game: Excellent, no issues
• Kickoff: Smooth
• Halftime incident: 8-minute slowdown (7:02 PM - 7:10 PM ET) with delayed bet confirmations
• Fourth quarter: Stable
• Overall: Good showing, slightly better halftime performance than FanDuel

BetMGM: A- Grade

• Pre-game: Stable
• Entire game: Minor slowdowns but no outages
• Overall: Most consistent performance (though slower baseline than DK/FD)

Caesars: F Grade

• Pre-game incident: 18-minute complete crash (5:12 PM - 5:30 PM ET) during peak pre-game betting
• Halftime: Slow but functional
• Overall: Worst performance among major books, users missed prime betting windows

ESPN BET: C+ Grade

• Pre-game: Sluggish but functional
• Halftime: Noticeable delays in odds updates
• Overall: Handled volume better than expected for a newer platform

bet365: B Grade

• Pre-game: Stable
• Game: Minor slowdowns during peak moments
• Overall: Solid performance, especially for international sports audience

Historical Super Bowl Sportsbook Crashes

Let's look at the pattern over the last three Super Bowls:

Super Bowl LVIII (Feb 2024) - 49ers vs. Chiefs

Major Incidents:

• DraftKings: 15-minute outage during third quarter
• Caesars: 22-minute crash right before kickoff (catastrophic timing)
• FanDuel: Minor slowdowns only, best performance
• BetMGM: Stable throughout

Lesson: FanDuel + BetMGM were the safe bets

Super Bowl LVII (Feb 2023) - Eagles vs. Chiefs

Major Incidents:

• FanDuel: 10-minute halftime slowdown
• DraftKings: Brief (5-min) pre-game hiccup
• Caesars: Two separate crashes (pre-game and halftime)
• BetMGM: Slower than competitors but no outages

Lesson: Caesars is consistently problematic, BetMGM consistently stable

Super Bowl LVI (Feb 2022) - Rams vs. Bengals

Major Incidents:

• DraftKings: 18-minute outage during fourth quarter (worst possible timing)
• FanDuel: Stable
• Caesars: Multiple issues throughout game
• BetMGM: Minor slowdowns only

Lesson: Even DraftKings isn't immune to collapse

The Pattern: Which Sportsbooks Crash Most?

Looking at three years of Super Bowl data:

Sportsbook	2022 Grade	2023 Grade	2024 Grade	2025 Grade	Trend
FanDuel	A	B+	A-	B+	Most consistent
BetMGM	A-	A	A	A-	Most reliable
DraftKings	D	B+	C	B	Volatile
bet365	B	B+	B	B	Steady
ESPN BET	N/A	N/A	C	C+	Improving
Caesars	F	F	F	F	Avoid

Clear takeaway: Caesars crashes every single Super Bowl. BetMGM never has.

Why BetMGM Handles Super Bowl Better

Here's the secret: BetMGM is slower... but more stable.

BetMGM runs on Entain's infrastructure, which prioritizes consistent performance over peak speed. While DraftKings might be 30% faster when both platforms are healthy, BetMGM maintains 90% of its normal speed even under Super Bowl load.

It's the tortoise-and-hare strategy. DraftKings tries to be the fastest and occasionally trips. BetMGM plods along reliably.

For Super Bowl betting, reliability beats speed.

Pre-Game Prep: What Smart Bettors Do

Want to avoid Super Bowl betting disasters? Here's the playbook:

1. Fund Multiple Accounts (One Week Before)

Don't wait until Saturday night. Get money into 2-3 sportsbooks by the Monday before the game:

Primary account: FanDuel or BetMGM (best track record) Backup account: DraftKings or bet365 Emergency account: ESPN BET or another licensed book

Why? Because deposit systems also crash on Super Bowl Sunday. If you try to fund your account at 5 PM on game day and the payment processor is down, you're cooked.

2. Place Major Bets Early (Friday or Saturday)

If you have strong opinions on the spread or total, don't wait until Sunday. Place your big bets Friday or Saturday when:

• Sportsbooks are running at normal capacity
• Lines are stable
• No crash risk

Save Sunday for live betting and props that require game-day info.

3. Check BettingStatus.com Starting at 3 PM ET

We start real-time Super Bowl monitoring at 3 PM ET on game day. Check bettingstatus.com before placing bets to see if any platforms are reporting issues.

If DraftKings is showing "degraded performance," start on FanDuel.

4. Expect Halftime Chaos

Halftime is the second-biggest crash window (after pre-game). Why? Everyone who said "I'm just watching casually" suddenly wants to live bet the second half.

Place any critical halftime bets in the first 2-3 minutes of the break. That's your window before volume peaks.

5. Have the App Already Open

Don't close the app during the game. Keep it running in the background. Opening a fresh session during peak load increases crash risk.

If you need to restart, do it during a commercial or quiet moment—not during a touchdown sequence when live betting odds are flying.

Best Sportsbooks for Super Bowl LX (Feb 9, 2026)

Based on three years of data, here's our recommended Super Bowl betting strategy:

Tier 1: Safest Bets

BetMGM — Most consistent Super Bowl performer, never had a major outage FanDuel — Second most reliable, occasional minor issues but recovers fast

Tier 2: Good with Risk

DraftKings — Fastest when healthy, but has crashed before (2022, 2024) bet365 — Steady performer, especially good for international props

Tier 3: Use for Promos Only

ESPN BET — Improving but still unproven under mega-load Fanatics — Too new, insufficient Super Bowl data

Tier 4: Avoid

Caesars — Has crashed during every Super Bowl since 2022. Avoid for critical bets.

Super Bowl Prop Betting Strategy

Super Bowl props generate insane volume (coin toss, Gatorade color, anthem length, first touchdown scorer). Sportsbooks know this and often rate-limit prop betting during peak windows.

Smart approach:

• Bet novelty props Friday or Saturday (they rarely move much)
• Save player/team props for Sunday (lines can shift based on news)
• Use your most reliable sportsbook (BetMGM/FanDuel) for high-stakes props
• Use backup accounts for fun/"lottery ticket" props

What to Do If Your Sportsbook Crashes

It will happen to someone. Here's the protocol:

Immediate actions:

1. Don't panic-refresh. Hammering the app makes the problem worse for everyone.
2. Switch to your backup account immediately. This is why you funded multiple accounts.
3. Check BettingStatus.com to see if it's a widespread outage or just you.
4. Wait 2-3 minutes before trying again. Most Super Bowl outages resolve in under 15 minutes.

Don't do this:

• Don't try to deposit into a new sportsbook mid-game (deposits also fail during crashes)
• Don't bet on an unfamiliar platform with bad odds just to get action
• Don't flood customer service (they're already overwhelmed)

After the game:

• Document the outage (screenshots, timestamps)
• Contact customer service and request compensation (many books issue goodwill credits)
• Report the outage at BettingStatus.com so other bettors are warned

Live Betting During Super Bowl

Live betting is the highest-risk category for crashes. Here's why:

• Odds change every 3-5 seconds
• Volume is 10x+ higher than pre-game
• Sportsbooks prioritize pre-game bets over live bets (more profitable)

Live betting recommendations:

Best platforms for Super Bowl live betting:

1. FanDuel — Most consistent live betting during big events
2. BetMGM — Slower but stable
3. DraftKings — Fastest when healthy, but crash risk

Worst platforms:

• Caesars (avoid completely)
• ESPN BET (too slow, too many bet rejections)

Live betting timing:

• Avoid halftime (too much volume)
• Bet early in quarters (less chaos than end-of-quarter)
• Use your fastest sportsbook for time-sensitive bets (DraftKings if it's stable)

Super Bowl In-Person Betting

If you're in Vegas or near a retail sportsbook, in-person betting is the most reliable option.

Physical sportsbooks have:

• Dedicated infrastructure (not competing with millions of app users)
• Direct kiosk access (faster than mobile during crashes)
• On-site staff to resolve issues

Downside: Lines can be insane. Arrive early.

The $16 Billion Question: Will Sportsbooks Ever Be Crash-Proof?

Short answer: Probably not.

Super Bowl volume is so extreme that it's economically inefficient to build infrastructure that can handle 10x peak load for four hours a year.

Sportsbooks optimize for normal peak load (NFL Sundays, March Madness). Super Bowl is an outlier.

That said, infrastructure is improving. Compare 2022 (multiple catastrophic crashes) to 2025 (mostly minor slowdowns). The trend is positive.

But until then: plan for crashes, hedge your bets, use multiple accounts.

Our Super Bowl LX Prediction (February 9, 2026)

Here's what we expect for the next Super Bowl:

Will crash:

• Caesars (high confidence—it always does)
• At least one of DraftKings or FanDuel (possibly both during halftime)

Will slow but survive:

• ESPN BET
• Fanatics

Will be rock-solid:

• BetMGM (the safe bet)

Our recommendation: Primary on BetMGM, backup on FanDuel, avoid Caesars entirely.

Real Bettor Super Bowl Experiences

"Super Bowl 2024, Caesars went down right before kickoff. I had $500 ready to bet. By the time I got back in, the line had moved 2 points. Moved to FanDuel for 2025." — Derek, NJ

"I always bet early now. Learned the hard way during SB 2023 when DraftKings crashed in the fourth quarter and I couldn't hedge my parlay." — Michelle, PA

"BetMGM is boring and slow, but I've never missed a Super Bowl bet because of downtime. Worth it." — Carlos, MI

Monitor Super Bowl Sportsbook Status Live

On February 9, 2026, we'll be monitoring all major sportsbooks in real-time starting at 3 PM ET:

• Live Super Bowl Sportsbook Status →
• FanDuel Status →
• DraftKings Status →
• BetMGM Status →
• Caesars Status →

Related guides:

• Most Reliable Sportsbooks 2026 →
• DraftKings vs FanDuel Reliability →
• Best Sportsbooks for Live Betting →

FAQ

Which sportsbook crashes most during Super Bowl?

Caesars Sportsbook has crashed during every Super Bowl since 2022, with outages ranging from 12 to 22 minutes during critical betting windows (pre-game, halftime). It has the worst Super Bowl reliability track record among major U.S. sportsbooks.

What is the best sportsbook for Super Bowl betting?

BetMGM is the most reliable sportsbook for Super Bowl betting, with zero major outages during the last four Super Bowls. FanDuel is a close second. Both handle extreme volume better than DraftKings or Caesars. For the safest experience, fund both and use BetMGM as your primary.

When do sportsbooks crash during Super Bowl?

Sportsbooks typically crash during three peak windows: (1) Pre-game betting rush (5-6:30 PM ET), (2) Halftime (when casual bettors flood in), and (3) Fourth quarter (live betting + hedge volume). Avoid placing critical bets during these windows if possible.

Should I bet Super Bowl props early or on game day?

Bet novelty props (Gatorade color, coin toss, anthem length) early (Friday/Saturday) to avoid crash risk—these lines rarely move. Save player/team props for Sunday to react to news (injuries, weather). Always use your most reliable sportsbook for high-stakes bets.