Nevada sportsbooks process record $158.6m in bets on Super Bowl LII

Punters in the US state of Nevada wagered a record $158.58m (€128.1m) on the NFL American football league's Super Bowl LII.

The Philadelphia Eagles caused an upset on Sunday by seeing off the New England Patriots 41-33 to win their first Super Bowl and deny their opponent a record-equalling sixth title.

The amount spent by punters this year beat the previous record of $138.5m set at the 2017 Super Bowl between the Patriots and Atlanta Falcons by $20m.

However, according to ESPN, Nevada sportsbooks won just $1.1m on the game, an amount that represents the smallest win for bookmakers since 2011.

Since the Nevada Gaming Control Board began tracking betting activity on the Super Bowl in 1991, bookmakers have made a profit on 26 out of 28 games, with the 1995 and 2008 games serving as the only loss-making events.

ESPN also reported a number of big-money wagers in the lead up to this year’s Super Bowl, including a $3m bet placed on the Eagles to win the game and four other wagers of $1m or more.

Sports betting could be expanded to other US states ahead of next year’s Super Bowl, should New Jersey prove successful in its quest to overturn the federal 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

PASPA makes it unlawful for governmental entities to sponsor, operate, advertise, promote, licence or authorise betting, gambling or wagering schemes that are based on games played by amateur or professional athletes.

Nevada is the only state that is exempt from PASPA, but the US Supreme Court is expected to make a decision on New Jersey’s case in June and could in turn open up the market nationwide.

Related article: Nevada reveals record Super Bowl betting figures