LAS VEGAS -- Nevada sports books lost a record $2.6 million
on Super Bowl bets when the New York Giants upset the
New England Patriots 17-14, gambling regulators said Tuesday.
A flood of small bets came in on the Giants, who were 12-point
underdogs against undefeated New England, the Goliath that looked
unbeatable.
"People came into Las Vegas and they wanted to root for
David," said Jay Kornegay, the executive director of the Las Vegas
Hilton race and sports book. "The anticipated large wagers that we
expected on the Patriots just never materialized."
Kornegay said the amount wagered was weighted to the Giants by
as much as 60 percent -- heavy action that caused many books to
shift their opening lines from the Patriots being favored by 14
points down to 12.
Making matters worse for the casinos, many gamblers bet the
Giants to win outright on the "money line" and won payouts of up
to $475 for every $100 wagered.
Another large group took the Giants plus 12 points and got paid
roughly even money.
Still another big segment bet a two-way parlay that the Giants
would cover with the 12-point spread and that the total points
scored in Sunday's game would be under 54 -- for a payoff of more
than 2.5 times their bet.
"They're still cashing at this moment," Kornegay said. "The
last two days, all I hear is, 'I told you so.'"
The total amount bet at Nevada's 174 sports books was $92.1
million, the third-highest amount ever, but down for the second
consecutive year after a record $94.5 million was bet in 2006.
The last time the casinos lost money on the Super Bowl was in
1995, when the San Francisco 49ers blew out the San Diego Chargers,
49-26, and Nevada books lost $400,000, said Gaming Control Board
analyst Frank Streshley.
Much of the "smart money," or bets from experienced
handicappers, went with the Patriots, but the public favored the
underdogs.
"The Giants turned out to be public darlings, and
Eli Manning
went from kicking him off the curb five weeks ago to the kid they'd
like to see succeed," said Jimmy Vaccaro, a Las Vegas-based
oddsmaker for AmericanWagering.com and host of a radio sports talk
show.
Even in Las Vegas casinos, the fans backed the Giants in large
numbers, he said.
"When the Giants did something good, it was about 70-30
applause as opposed to when the Patriots did something good,"
Vaccaro said.