Betting records were shattered on the opening weekend of the 2021 NFL season with nearly 60 million transactions recorded by U.S. sportsbooks.

With legally licensed sportsbooks now operating in 26 states and Washington D.C., 58.2 million betting transactions were recorded Thursday to Sunday by GeoComply, which provides geolocation services to sportsbooks.

GeoComply said Monday -- when the final game of Week 1 will be played -- that New Jersey had the highest number of bettors, ahead of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois.

"The data tells a remarkable story about the growth of the industry in a short period of time," said Lindsay Slader, managing director of gaming for GeoComply.

The increase in U.S. transactions was measured at an uptick of 126 percent.

Underdogs were 11-4 against the spread, starting with the Dallas Cowboys covering an 8.5-point spread in the first game of the season Thursday night at Tampa. There were eight outright upsets, which typically represent big victories for sportsbooks.