We can now officially put a ribbon on Super Bowl XLV. The game between the Pittsburgh Steelersand Green Bay Packers was a win for the sportsbooks - marking the 15th time in 16 years that sportsbooks came away as winners. The only time they lost was in 2007 when the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots.
According to RJ Bell of Pregame.com, $87.5 million was wagered in Nevada alone with $724,000 being won by the sportsbooks. It was the smallest haul by the 'books since 1998 when the Denver Broncos beat the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII.
"Packers and Over was by far the worst possible result for the sportsbooks, and even so they ended up net winners. This is a great example of the steep uphill climb the average player faces trying to win." said Bell.
An amazing stat, however is the fact that Las Vegas accounts for just 1% of the worldwide Super Bowl 'handle', or the total amount bet, and sportsbooks worldwide have won an estimated $11.5 billion on the Super Bowl since 1991.