Nevada Sportsbooks Win On Another Super Bowl, But Betting Handle Drops Again

Nevada’s Super Bowl win, handle down

Nevada sportsbooks won nearly $9.9 million from a total betting handle of $133.8 million in the Seattle Seahawks’ 29-13 rout of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Sunday for a hold of 7.4%, but all three figures were significantly down from last year and historical norms.

The betting results were announced just after 6:30 p.m. PT Monday by the state’s Gaming Control Board, which has been issuing a special Super Bowl press release every year since 1990.

Last year, the Nevada books won more than twice as much with a record $22.13 million (so Sunday’s win was down 55.3%) in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 40-22 blowout of the Kansas City Chiefs from a handle of $151.6 million (this year down 11.7%) for a hold of 14.6% (this year down 49.3%). And last year’s handle was down 20.2% from the prior year, though that was mostly due to Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 being held in town at Allegiant Stadium.

This year’s drop in handle, which was the lowest in 10 years, is mostly being blamed on a less-than-marquee matchup as the NFC’s Los Angeles Rams were viewed as the most attractive team for betting purposes (and the team’s proximity to Vegas leading to even more visitors/bettors) or any number of teams in the AFC with more potent offenses. Some are pointing to the emergence of prediction market options as a reason, but Nevada’s Super Bowl handle has continued to grow overall even with increasing nationwide competition since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018. Don’t sound the death knell for Vegas yet.

While it was the sportsbooks’ lowest win since profiting only $4.4 million in the 2023 game (when the popular Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35) in which it held a mere 2.8% and not as big of a win as they wanted, it’s not far off from the typical win in the $10-12 million range. They also have to be happy with the results as the relatively low-scoring game (until the fourth quarter) caused most props to stay Under while the majority of bettors like to bet Overs, plus none of the popular longshot props like a safety or overtime cashed. 

Circa Sports reported having a successful Super Sunday thanks to some big late action on the Patriots.

“Super Sunday was a helluva day given our futures position,” Circa Sports director of operations Jeffrey Benson said early Monday night, adding Circa went into the game with a $1.6 million liability in their future book with a Seattle victory. “We took two separate million-dollar bets on the Patriots, which worked out well. A lotta Unders hit on the props. The game staying Under was beautiful. Kenneth Walker MVP was also good.

“We cleaned up,” was how Benson succinctly summed up the day.

The Over/Under was 45.5 points at most books for the two weeks leading up to the game and closed a consensus 45 at kickoff. It looked like a stone-cold Under most of the game, including the Seahawks leading only 9-0 at halftime. The game opened up in the fourth quarter with 30 points to get to the 29-13 score, still three points below the betting total. Right before the two-minute warning, the Seahawks looked like they were going to try to run out the clock and Over bettors looked doomed. However, Walker broke into the open field and looked like he was going to score on a 51-yard TD run as Over bettors went wild in the books – until they saw the flag for offensive holding.

Benson’s comment about Walker winning MVP was because even though he was the third betting choice at 5-1 in that popular wager, the two starting QBs always get the biggest bets (in fact, Walker was the first running back to win MVP in 28 years since Terrell Davis), plus the books win the bets on all the other players.

Super Bowl results from other states with legalized sports betting will be trickling in over the next few weeks.

From the Nevada Gaming Control Board Press Release, here are the last 10 Super Bowls for the state’s sportsbooks: