Taylor Swift might be the most recognizable and famous person in the world right now. She’s a legendary musician, touring all over the globe, and is currently dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce.
However, before all of that, Swift is a Pennsylvania native. She grew up in Reading, which is roughly 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Dating Travis, the brother of Eagles center Jason Kelce, has put Swift more in the NFL limelight. She’s now becoming one of the main attractions for any Chiefs game she attends to support Travis.
Since the Swifties are so loyal, it’s possible Swift is affecting Super Bowl betting in Pennsylvania.
Taylor Swift fever arrives at Live! Casino Pittsburgh
The Swift and Kelce relationship had not become official until December. The pair have recently picked up steam as the companionship appears to be growing in seriousness, which has put Swift on the NFL map.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh started having fun with the couple, naming Travis Kelce props after Swift’s songs. For example, one prop was named for her song, “Red,” and was a Kelce anytime touchdown market. The casino and its sportsbook have done that on several occasions since December.
Anthony Zrelak, General Manager of FanDuel Sportsbook and Lounge at Live! Casino Pittsburgh, told PlayPennsylvania that Swift is having a direct impact on the betting market.
“We’ve seen it during the season, and we’re seeing even more now,” Zrelak said. “We’ve had new faces in our sportsbook that have said, ‘Can you please help me bet on Taylor Swift?’ There’s just a whole new consumer base that is coming and they want to bet on Taylor’s team to win. We’ve experienced it since she broke into the NFL but this Super Bowl has really shown the impact that it’s had.”
Zrelak noted that around 90% of the tickets are on Chiefs, and a large chunk of that is because of Swift. In addition to the Swifties, Zrelak said that even regular sports bettors have been mentioning Swift as a reason for backing the Chiefs.
Because of the Swift’s presence, Kelce has been the undoubted leader for the most-bet player prop. The most popular wagers at Live! Casino Pittsburgh includes Kelce to score a touchdown (+100) and Kelce to win Super Bowl MVP (+1700).
Live! Pittsburgh usually does around two times more in Super Bowl props than in a regular NFL game. The property sure has Taylor and Travis to thank, especially if it goes any higher this year.
Online sportsbooks show public majority backing Chiefs for Super Bowl LVIII
Swift could also be impacting Super Bowl betting on PA online sportsbooks, too.
In an email sent to PlayPennsylvania last week, DraftKings Sportsbook PA communications said:
“Whether it’s faith in Patrick Mahomes as an underdog, the Niners’ first half struggles against Detroit or just the ‘Taylor Swift Impact,’ DraftKings bettors are seeing Red (Taylor and Travis’ version)!”
A DraftKings official told PlayPennsylvania earlier this week that it’s tough to get inside the mind of an online sports bettor without talking to them. However, the public is backing the Chiefs in almost every state in which it operates. The Chiefs are getting at least 54% of the handle in every state except New Jersey:
| State | Handle | Bets |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 73% | 63% |
| Colorado | 63% | 62% |
| Connecticut | 77% | 68% |
| Iowa | 63% | 63% |
| Illinois | 72% | 71% |
| Indiana | 60% | 69% |
| Kansas | 89% | 88% |
| Kentucky | 66% | 67% |
| Louisiana | 77% | 70% |
| Massachusetts | 66% | 62% |
| Maryland | 62% | 63% |
| Maine | 55% | 63% |
| Michigan | 71% | 67% |
| New Hampshire | 54% | 60% |
| New Jersey | 38% | 72% |
| New York | 62% | 69% |
| Ohio | 69% | 64% |
| Oregon | 70% | 63% |
| Pennsylvania | 67% | 66% |
| Tennessee | 61% | 67% |
| Virginia | 60% | 64% |
| Vermont | 57% | 68% |
| West Virginia | 61% | 64% |
| Wyoming | 62% | 57% |
| National | 64% | 67% |
While it could be for a multitude of reasons for Chiefs backers, Taylor Swift is undoubtedly in the mix as a reason why.
