On Tuesday, Las Vegas confirmed something most of us felt heading into Super Bowl LX: It didn't have much juice this year. According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, there wasonly$133.8 million wagered on Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks at the state's 186 sportsbooks.
It marked the smallest Super Bowl handle since 2016, and Nevada’s $9.9 million win was its third-lowest profit in that stretch. Aww, boo-hoo. Still, that’s what you expect when the favorite wins. Yet, the sportsbooks nearly cleared $10 million, even with the most popular Super Bowl bet on record hitting, just another example of how sports betting can be.
Maybe, as my colleagueDan Zaksheske wrote earlierthis week, there is too much parity in the NFL and fans are sick of seeing another Super Bowl rematch. However, this was a different Patriots team than the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick dynasty, and a new era for the Seahawks, who had a second-year head coach and a first-year quarterback this season.
Plus, New England has a huge fan base, and Seattle isn't a "small market," so those aren't reasons for the lower Super Bowl turnout in Nevada. But, with sports betting live in 38 states and Washington D.C., and prediction markets available nationwide, people don't need or want to travel to expensive-a** Las Vegas to do something they can now do on their couch.
New England Patriots QB Drake Maye gets sacked by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. (Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Also, perhaps the game script killed the vibe. Live betting is included in Nevada's handle, and the first three quarters of Super Bowl LX were brutal, with the Seahawks holding a 12-0 lead entering the final frame. There is a chance the Super Bowl was so boring that people were just over it and didn't feel like sinking more money into a snooze-fest.
Smarter people than me will come up with reasons why less money was bet on Super Bowl LX in Las Vegas. Ultimately, I'm guessing this was a blip and Nevada'sBig Gamebetting volume will bounce back next year. If not, maybe Las Vegas will finally start making things more affordable again, which would be the second-best result of this Super Bowl, behind the Patriots losing.
Follow me on X (or Twitter, whatever)@Geoffery-Clark, and check out myOutKick Bets Podcastfor more betting content and random rants. Track myNFL 2025-26 bets here.
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