The win by the three-point underdogs New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI was not only an exciting one from Giants fans but a profitable one for Nevada sportsbooks as well, which raked in just over $5 million in profits.
Nevada sportsbooks (184 in total scattered throughout the state but most in Las Vegas and Reno) took in a total of $93.9 million in overall wagers, the second most in history.
The overall handle increased for the third straight year and came up just short of the record of $94.5 million that was bet in 2006 when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks.
The Super Bowl is a profitable proposition for sportsbooks in most years, as Nevada casinos have profited in 20 of the past 22 years from the wagers taken on the game.
Unlike the last time the Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl - which was one of the biggest losses for sportsbooks in Super Bowl history - the latest Giants victory was a profitable one for casinos.
While about 52% of the bets were on the Giants, the sportsbooks were big wininers on over/under bets and other prop bets. Most over/under bets were on "the over of 53 points," which didn't pan out in a relatively low-scoring game.
Prop bets (such as how many passing yards a quarterback will have or which team will score first) have also become very popular and profitable for sportsbooks, as they carry a higher commission than standard bets.
As big as Super Bowl betting is at Nevada casinos it's a relative drop in the bucket in the overall betting worldwide at online sportsbooks and in other countries. Some estimates place the worldwide betting on Super Bowl XLVI at more than $10 billion - a staggering sum for one of the world's most popular individual sporting events.
