Super Bowl wagering falls short of new record

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- Wagering on the Super Bowl didn't set a record this year as predicted but it still had Nevada sports books smiling.

The state Gaming Control Board reported Thursday $75.9 million was bet on the game between Denver and Atlanta, about $1.3 million less than the record set in 1998. But the books won $2.9 million, compared to only $472,033 a year ago when underdog Denver beat Green Bay.

The $75.9 million was the second highest amount ever bet with Nevada sports books in the last nine years of Super Bowl records. Several oddsmakers in Southern Nevada had predicted the wagering would reach a new high this year.

Robert Smith of LeRoy's which operates 46 books in the state, said the win was up because a lot of bettors liked the Falcons. Many players were "impressed with their win over Minnesota," Smith said.

Denver, a 7 to 7 1/2 point favorite, won 34-19 over the Falcons.

While he said he was "shocked" the wagering didn't reach a record, Smith said, "Our business was very active. I thought we would have a record handle."

He said when the Super Bowl is played on the East Coast, that seems to reduce the wagering. This year it was in Miami.

The win of $2.9 million was the fifth highest in nine years. Books won the most -- $7.4 million -- in 1994 when Dallas played Buffalo, Smith said.

There was only one year the books lost money on the Super Bowl. That's when San Francisco played San Diego.

Smith said everybody bet the 49ers who covered the spread in their victory over the Chargers and cost the books $396,674.

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