The Conversation Weekly The Super Bowl that kickstarted prop betting in America
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Feb 5, 2026 John Affleck, Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society at Penn State, traces how a 1986 Super Bowl prop on William "The Fridge" Perry launched modern prop betting. He discusses the spread of prop wagers, how daily fantasy and the 2018 court decision fueled rapid growth, and why the rise of apps and lax regulation is creating public-health and integrity concerns for professional sports.
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How One Fridge Play Began Prop Betting
- Caesars Palace added a bet on whether William "The Fridge" Perry would score a touchdown during Super Bowl XX to keep gamblers engaged.
- Late in the third quarter he scored, making that wager the origin story for modern prop betting in the US.
Daily Fantasy Was A Legal Loophole
- Daily fantasy platforms exploited legal distinctions to create skill-based products that functioned like sports bets.
- This innovation, plus online access, paved the way for mass, regulated sports wagering across many states.
Supreme Court Unleashed States' Betting Choices
- The 2018 Supreme Court ruling struck down a federal ban and let states legalize sports betting individually.
- That decision triggered rapid growth: by 2024, 39 states plus DC allowed legal sports wagering.