Super Bowl 50 Generates Record Wagers For Nevada

The 50th Super Bowl which took place between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos on Sunday generated record wagers at Nevada’s sportsbooks. According to numbers from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, as much as $132.54 million in legal bets was taken, netting an impressive $13.31 million in winnings for the house. This tops the previous record set in 2014 of $119 million, and commenting on the figures, Westgate oddsmaker Ed Salmon said that “the handle was the most we’ve ever had.”
The game in which the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by 24-10 even saw 111.9 million viewers tune in to CBS to enjoy the spectacle, representing the second-highest tally ever for the television network.
In addition to the legal wagers, a further $4.1 billion in illegal bets was also placed according to the American Gaming Association (AGA). This was seen by the AGA as further evidence that sports betting was now the USA’s “new national pastime”, with the organization’s CEO Geoff Freeman explaining:
“Fans want to be invested in their favorite sports and, one way or another, will find a way to do so. AGA will continue to build support for a modern and rational approach that protects these fans and the integrity of the sports we enjoy.”
Recently, the AGA even conducted a survey to gauge people’s views on sports betting laws in the US, with the results subsequently revealing that 80% of Super Bowl viewers would like to see the current laws changed, with 66% of respondents also saying that it should be left up to the individual states to choose whether to legalize the practice. This incredible level of popular support expressed for sports betting inevitably adds further credence to the push for a legalized daily fantasy sports landscape in the US.