How Much Did Vegas Lose On Super Bowl 53
Super Bowl 53 was a complete dud for anyone who wasn’t a New England Patriots fan, a defensive snoozefest that ended with a 13-3 score.
Many More Millions Gambled On the Super Bowl Illegally. So those numbers are just in Las Vegas. Numbers vary widely on the reports of legal, Las Vegas betting and illegal betting but most estimates think Nevada only pulls in 2.5% of the total action! So if this is correct then you can assume there is about 40x as much bet on the Super Bowl as. The unnamed bettor who took Las Vegas sportsbooks for more than a reported $10 million on the World Series was back at it for Super Bowl LII - and he potentially won more on Super Bowl LII with. By the way, every Super Bowl since 2000 made money for Vegas, except the Giants shocking upset of the Patriots in 2008, when Vegas lost $2.6 million. Its average income the other nine Super Bowls.
However, the 49ers not only lost the game, but they weren’t able to cover the spread that went as high as +2 points before the kickoff of Super Bowl 54. The MGM took at least $3 million dollars from sports bettors that were hammering the 49ers’ moneyline and spread for the game, quarters, and half.
Well, good news NFL fans! If Las Vegas oddsmakers have any say in the outcome of Super Bowl 54 between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, then LIV in Miami has the chance to be quite the opposite.
Per BetMGM, the opening spread as of Monday morning has the Chiefs as just 1.5-point favorites, which means we’re looking at two evenly-matched teams. But I’m more excited about the over/under, which is a whopping 53.5 points.
That’s HUGE news right there. It’s a reminder we’re looking at a 49ers team that scored 27 points against the Minnesota Vikings and put up a 37 spot against the Green Bay Packers, and the Chiefs scored a combined 86 in their two playoff contests. So that 13-3 score seems like a reeeeeal longshot. Thank goodness!
Oh, and if you want my initial picks: I’m probably leaning toward the over in a 33-30 kind of game and taking the Chiefs (please note, I’m allowed to change my mind!). The 49ers moneyline at +100 is also the way to go (and keep an eye on it for movement).
The most popular sport to bet on is the NFL, making the Super Bowl one of the most bet on individual events in all of sports each year. This was evident again this past year as the $154.7 million wagered on Super Bowl LIV at Nevada sportsbooks was the second-most all-time, only failing to beat 2018’s record $158 million. The Nevada State Gaming Control Board releases their Super Bowl numbers from 190 sportsbooks across the state around 24 hours after the game, at which point we will update our information.
Below is a table showing the total handle (total amount of all wagers taken in) and profit reported by Nevada sportsbooks on each Super Bowl since 1991.
How Much Did Vegas Lose On Super Bowl
Amount Legally Wagered on the Super Bowl Each Year
| YEAR | SUPER BOWL | AMT WAGERED | PROFIT | RETURN | WINNER | LOSER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LIV | $154,679,241 | $18,774,148 | 12.1% | Chiefs | 49ers |
| 2019 | LIII | $145,939,025 | $10,780,319 | 7.4% | Patriots | Rams |
| 2018 | LII | $158,586,934 | $1,170,432 | 0.7% | Eagles | Patriots |
| 2017 | LI | $138,480,136 | $10,937,826 | 7.90% | Patriots | Falcons |
| 2016 | 50 | $132,545,587 | $13,314,539 | 10.10% | Broncos | Panthers |
| 2015 | XLIX | $115,986,086 | $3,261,066 | 2.80% | Patriots | Seahawks |
| 2014 | XLVIII | $119,400,822 | $19,673,960 | 16.50% | Seahawks | Broncos |
| 2013 | XLVII | $98,936,798 | $7,206,460 | 7.30% | Ravens | 49ers |
| 2012 | XLVI | $93,899,840 | $5,064,470 | 5.40% | Giants | Patriots |
| 2011 | XLV | $87,491,098 | $724,176 | 0.83% | Packers | Steelers |
| 2010 | XLIV | $82,726,367 | $6,857,101 | 8.29% | Saints | Colts |
| 2009 | XLIII | $81,514,748 | $6,678,044 | 8.19% | Steelers | Cardinals |
| 2008 | XLII | $92,055,833 | ($2,573,103) | -2.80% | Giants | Patriots |
| 2007 | XLI | $93,067,358 | $12,930,175 | 13.89% | Colts | Bears |
| 2006 | XL | $94,534,372 | $8,828,431 | 9.34% | Steelers | Seahawks |
| 2005 | XXXIX | $90,759,236 | $15,430,138 | 17.00% | Patriots | Eagles |
| 2004 | XXXVIII | $81,242,191 | $12,440,698 | 15.31% | Patriots | Panthers |
| 2003 | XXXVII | $71,693,032 | $5,264,963 | 7.34% | Bucs | Raiders |
| 2002 | XXXVI | $71,513,304 | $2,331,607 | 3.26% | Patriots | Rams |
| 2001 | XXXV | $67,661,425 | $11,002,636 | 16.26% | Ravens | Giants |
| 2000 | XXXIV | $71,046,751 | $4,237,978 | 5.97% | Rams | Titans |
| 1999 | XXXIII | $75,986,520 | $2,906,601 | 3.83% | Broncos | Falcons |
| 1998 | XXXII | $77,253,246 | $472,033 | 0.61% | Broncos | Packers |
| 1997 | XXXI | $70,853,211 | $2,265,701 | 3.20% | Packers | Patriots |
| 1996 | XXX | $70,907,801 | $7,126,145 | 10.05% | Cowboys | Steelers |
| 1995 | XXIX | $69,591,818 | ($396,674) | -0.57% | 49ers | Chargers |
| 1994 | XXVIII | $54,483,221 | $7,481,541 | 13.73% | Cowboys | Bills |
| 1993 | XXVII | $56,811,405 | $7,174,869 | 12.63% | Cowboys | Bills |
| 1992 | XXVI | $50,334,277 | $301,280 | 0.60% | Redskins | Bills |
| 1991 | XXV | $40,080,409 | $3,512,241 | 8.76% | Giants | Bills |
The House Always Wins (In the Long Run)
Sports books have made out extremely well when it comes to the Super Bowl. A big reason why is that square bettors (those that don’t usually bet) are attracted to the big game and they are prone to making high-risk bets like parlays and props that are unlikely to win. There have been just two cases since 1991 when books have produced a net loss on the Super Bowl (1995 and 2008).
In 1995, the San Francisco 49ers were the biggest favorites in Super Bowl history (18 points), but that didn’t detract bettors from loading up on the obviously better team, as well as the over. The Niners covered and the total went well over the 53.5 mark (San Fran won 49-26, a 23-point victory with 75 points scored).
The 2008 Super Bowl played out much differently. The New England Patriots were 14-point favorites against the New York Giants. For this game the public did something it rarely does – it bet overwhelmingly on the underdog. Not only did the Giants cover the spread, they won the game outright, meaning a disaster for sportsbooks that had to payout moneyline bets on New York at nearly 10-to-1 as well.
How Much is Bet Illegally on the Super Bowl
How Much Did Vegas Lose On Super Bowl 53 Game
Each year there is a new study or estimate by an expert on how much is wagered offshore at online sportsbooks, or with local bookies, or between friends. Some of these estimates include office pools and international wagers taken legally, some do not.
There is no way to know for sure, but the most common educated guess (from the American Gaming Association) says that roughly 97% of all bets placed on the Super Bowl will be made in a technically illegal fashion. Using the latest numbers on the amount of legal action taken in Nevada ($154,679,241), the estimated illegal portion of the handle would come in at $5,155,974,700 (about $5.2 billion). If it follows that the expected return on illegal wagers matches that of legal wagers, using this year’s return of 12.1%, black market wagering accounted for $625,804,933 in profits last year.
Grand Total Wagered on the Most Recent Super Bowl (Estimate): $5.3 Billion
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