As the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs prepare to face off in professional football’s biggest event, online gambling platforms are experiencing unprecedented levels of both legitimate activity and gambling fraud attempts. As the industry leader protecting nearly 90% of U.S. online gambling revenue, Sift has unique visibility into these rapidly evolving trends.
Transaction—and Fraud—Volumes Hit New Heights
The numbers tell a compelling story. On January 26, 2025, when this year’s championship teams were determined, Sift’s U.S.-based online gambling customers processed an average of 3.13 million transactions—a substantial 15.5% increase from the 2.71 million transactions recorded on the equivalent day last year (January 28, 2024).
Even more notably, January 26, 2025, saw payment fraud attacks spike to their highest levels of the year for the online gambling industry, increasing 93% over the average day for the year so far. This timing is no coincidence—fraudsters deliberately target high-volume periods when they believe fraud prevention teams will be overwhelmed by the surge in transactions.
This pattern mirrors what we observed during last year’s championship game, when fraud attacks against U.S. online gambling sites skyrocketed by over 330% compared to normal daily volumes. Fraudsters specifically choose these major sporting events to launch their attacks, attempting to hide their malicious activity within the massive wave of legitimate transactions.
Protecting Players and Revenue at Scale
The challenge for online gambling platforms is clear: how to maintain robust fraud controls while ensuring legitimate players can place their bets quickly and easily during peak periods. This is particularly crucial as we approach February 9th, when millions of football fans will likely be placing more bets than on any previous big game.
Sift’s AI-powered platform is specifically designed to handle these extreme spikes in both legitimate and fraudulent activity. Our technology allows online gambling sites to:
- Process record-breaking transaction volumes without compromising on fraud risk
- Detect and block sophisticated fraud attempts in real-time
- Maintain a smooth, friction-free experience for legitimate players
- Scale fraud prevention capabilities instantly during peak periods
With the vast majority of U.S. online gambling revenue protected by our Global Data Network and its Identity Trust framework, Sift has an unparalleled view of transaction and fraud patterns across the industry. This comprehensive visibility allows our AI models to identify and respond to new fraud tactics as they emerge, providing protection that becomes stronger with every attempted attack.
Learn more about how the world’s leading online gambling platforms leverage Sift to transform fraud prevention into a competitive advantage here.
