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Super Bowl XLVII may not have set television ratings records, but it did set the record for the most money wagered in Nevada casinos. According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, a record $98.9 million was wagered on the Super Bowl.
The fact that the 49ers were one of the participating teams likely played a role in the record betting. One sports book director said casinos in Northern Nevada were flooded with people betting on San Francisco, according to a report from the San Jose Mercury News. Some have speculated that the high betting totals were also impacted by San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who was a popular star when he played for the University of Nevada.
The 183 sports books that took action on the game combined to make $7.2 million in profit. This was the 18th time in the last 20 years that sports books have combined to turn a profit on the Super Bowl. While the casinos made money, they could have made more if not for a couple of odd occurrences. The Ravens' decision to take an intentional safety at the end of the game cost the oddsmakers dearly. Betters who wagered a safety would occur at any point in the game were paid at 9-to-1 odds. A bet that San Francisco's final score of the game would be a safety paid at 50-to-1.
Even though Super Bowl XLVII has been in the books for less than 24 hours, casinos have already started to take wagers for next season. The Patriots are the early Super Bowl favorites with 7-to-1 odds, but the 49ers are once again expected to be contenders. After coming up just short this season, San Francisco is an 8-to-1 favorite to win Super Bowl XLVIII.