Betting on the Super Bowl? See these prop bets, from Taylor Swift to the halftime show

For those who enjoy a friendly wager with friends, family, coworkers or strangers, the Super Bowl offers a plethora of details to place your bets on.

Game-related outcomes and statistics are among the most obvious bets to place — currently fans around the country are betting on who will win the game, how many points will be scored and which players will carry their teams to victory.

Those more interested in the spectacle of the Super Bowl than the game itself may prefer proposition bets, also called “prop bets.” These unconventional wagers allow fans to predict details about the event that aren’t related to who wins the game.

Here’s what to know about prop bets ahead of Feb. 11.

What are some unconventional bets fans could place on the Super Bowl?

Here are a handful of potential “prop” bets that go beyond the game outcome and statistics.

• Taylor Swift related bets: Sorry dads, Brads and Chads — the pop icon is already a major source of speculation for the upcoming Super Bowl. Wagers include whether Swift will make it to the game after her concert in Tokyo, how many times she’ll be shown during the live broadcast and even whether boyfriend Travis Kelce will propose following a potential Chiefs win.

• Super Bowl advertisements: Companies are known to go all-out with their Super Bowl commercials, and fans watching from home may be tempted to bet on them, too. Bets include which company’s ad will play first, which celebrities will appear in cameo roles and how many ads will be aired during the game.

• Entertainment prop bets: From the exact length of the National Anthem to predictions about the halftime show set list, gamblers are already speculating about musical performances during the big game.

• Coin toss outcome: A coin toss is synonymous with random chance, making it an unusual subject for a bet. However, if they’re feeling lucky, fans can also weigh in on whether they think the toss will yield heads or tails.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling addiction, help is available. You can call Missouri’s Problem Gambling Hotline at 888-238-7633 or the Kansas Coalition on Problem Gambling at 800-522-4700. Gamblers Anonymous also offers an anonymous online quiz to help gauge how gambling impacts your life.

Are unconventional ‘prop bets’ legal?

The legality of “prop” bets depends on where you live. In Kansas, some bets on game-adjacent outcomes are legal, while others are not. In Missouri, all official sports gambling is illegal.

While you can still set up a friendly wager with someone you know, regulated sports gambling is more closely restricted.

According to the popular sports betting site FanDuel, Kansas gamblers are allowed to bet on game-related “props” like the MVP award and negative game outcomes, like whether a quarterback throws an interception.

However, more unconventional “props” are banned in Kansas, including bets regarding the coin toss, the national anthem or the color of the Gatorade dumped onto the winning team’s coach.

And while sports betting has long been legal in Nevada, where the Super Bowl will be held, prop bets there are restricted to what happens on the playing field in the course of the game — meaning wagers over Taylor Swift aren’t allowed.

If you want to bet on these or other unusual game details, you’ll have to risk using an international gambling site that may not be subject to the same regulations as legal sportsbooks.

Do you have more questions about events in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.