Nevada?s sports books won $6.6 million in Super Bowl bets last Sunday, reversing last year?s $2.5 million loss, according to the state?s Gaming Control Board.
The amount won represents an 8.2 percent win or hold percentage, based on a total handle of $81.5 million wagered on the game.
Even though the Cardinals/Steelers game generated the largest TV viewing audience in Super Bowl history, the handle was 11 percent less than the $92.1 million bet on last year?s Super Bowl.
Moreover the handle was the lowest since 2004, and broke a string of four straight Super Bowls in which the amount bet eclipsed $90 million.
Nonetheless, most sports book operators were pleased with the outcome.
"The game fell fine for us," said David Pemberton, race and sports book director at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino. "We needed Pittsburgh to win to offset all the futures money on Arizona."
Pemberton added that their parlay cards were huge winners for the house.
"We held about 86 percent due largely to the number of punts, which landed right on four," he said. "Since we have ties lose parlay cards, it was a big help to us."
The biggest help for the books was the last minute touchdown that put Pittsburgh ahead to stay. If Arizona would have had time to come back and score, the sports books were looking at an ugly result with all the money-line wagers on the Cardinals.
That?s what happened last year, when the New York Giants won outright as a huge underdog to the New England Patriots.
Even so, the sports books? win was tempered by all the Arizona Cardinal bets at either +7 or +6? where were generally considered the "smart" money leading up the game.
The amount won represents an 8.2 percent win or hold percentage, based on a total handle of $81.5 million wagered on the game.
Even though the Cardinals/Steelers game generated the largest TV viewing audience in Super Bowl history, the handle was 11 percent less than the $92.1 million bet on last year?s Super Bowl.
Moreover the handle was the lowest since 2004, and broke a string of four straight Super Bowls in which the amount bet eclipsed $90 million.
Nonetheless, most sports book operators were pleased with the outcome.
"The game fell fine for us," said David Pemberton, race and sports book director at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino. "We needed Pittsburgh to win to offset all the futures money on Arizona."
Pemberton added that their parlay cards were huge winners for the house.
"We held about 86 percent due largely to the number of punts, which landed right on four," he said. "Since we have ties lose parlay cards, it was a big help to us."
The biggest help for the books was the last minute touchdown that put Pittsburgh ahead to stay. If Arizona would have had time to come back and score, the sports books were looking at an ugly result with all the money-line wagers on the Cardinals.
That?s what happened last year, when the New York Giants won outright as a huge underdog to the New England Patriots.
Even so, the sports books? win was tempered by all the Arizona Cardinal bets at either +7 or +6? where were generally considered the "smart" money leading up the game.
