Star power and excitement were way down in Super Bowl 60. So was the betting handle in Nevada.
The total money wagered at the state’s 186 sportsbooks on the Seattle Seahawks’ 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in Sunday’s NFL title game was $133.8 million, according to figures released Monday by the Gaming Control Board.
That number is the lowest in Nevada since 2016 ($132.5 million) and more than $50 million short of the state’s Super Bowl record of $190 million set in 2024 for the first Super Bowl played in Las Vegas.
The state’s sportsbooks won $9.9 million on the game for a hold, or winning percentage, of 7.4 percent. The books won a record $22.1 million from a $151.6 million handle in last year’s Super Bowl where the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22.
The Seahawks, led by quarterback Sam Darnold and Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III, covered as 4½-point favorites over the Patriots, who were led by second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
“One of the factors was probably the lack of star power,” Westgate vice president of race and sport John Murray said. “I know Drake Maye has a chance to be a great player, but he’s still early in his career. Even the one year the Super Bowl didn’t have Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes, it was still Matthew Stafford against Joe Burrow.
“The main reason is sports betting across the country now.”
There were seven reported bets of $1 million or more across the country on Sunday’s game, including two at Circa Sports in Las Vegas, after none were reported on the 2025 Super Bowl.
A player on Circa bet $1.1 million on the Patriots moneyline (+188) to hedge the Seahawks futures bets resulting in net winnings of $8.1 million on Circa and BetMGM.
Circa also took a $1 million bet on New England’s moneyline (+200) from another player just before kickoff.
BetMGM also took a $725,000 hedge bet on New England’s moneyline (+195), while another bettor bet $788,000 on the Patriots +4½.
Red Rock Resorts sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said several factors contributed to the low handle.
“In 2024, Vegas hosted the Super Bowl and saw a record set. In 2025, the Chiefs-Eagles featured two highly publicized teams. That game also followed a season where the crowd had its best season in recent memory,” he said. “Pats-Seahawks followed a season where the visitors didn’t have a good season and were poor in comparison to the NFL players. It definitely helps shape the overall feel of the game.
“This year’s game also featured two defensive-minded teams, and we saw more ‘under’ action on the Super Bowl props, which in turn also impacted a lower prop handle.”
Seattle led 9-0 at halftime, and there were no touchdowns scored until the fourth quarter, as the game stayed under 45½.
Nevada 34-2 in Super Bowl
Nevada sportsbooks have lost money on only two Super Bowls since the Gaming Control Board began tracking betting on the game in 1991.
The books lost $396,674 on the 1995 Super Bowl where the San Francisco 49ers crushed the San Diego Chargers 49-26 as 19-point favorites to cover the largest point spread in Super Bowl history.
The players knocked off the books from a state record $2.57 million in the 2008 Super Bowl when the New York Giants shocked the Patriots as 12-point underdogs to end New England’s bid for a perfect season.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@ theplayerlounge.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.
Super Bowl betting handle
Here are the last 11 Super Bowl betting handles, or amount of money wagered, and amount won by Nevada sportsbooks each year, according to figures released Monday by the state’s Gaming Control Board.
Year; Betting handle; Amount of profit; Hold (win pct); Results
2026; $133,813,230; $9,892,055; 7.4%; Seattle 29, New England 13
2025; $151,618,159; $22,134,104; 14.6%; Philadelphia 40, Kansas City 22
2024; $190,020,783; $1,182,973; 5.9%; Kansas City 25, San Francisco 22 (OT)
2023; $153,183,002; $4,361,646; 2.8%; Kansas City 38, Philadelphia 35
2022; $179,823,715; $11,063,412; 6.2%; Los Angeles Rams 23, Cincinnati 20
2021; $136,096,460; $12,574,125; 9.2%; Tampa Bay 31, Kansas City 9
2020; $154,679,241; $18,774,148; 12.1%; Kansas City 31, San Francisco 20
2019; $145,939,025; $10,780,319; 7.4%; New England 13, LA Rams 3
2018; $158,586,934; $1,170,432; 0.7%; Philadelphia 41, New England 33
2017; $138,480,136; $10,937,826; 7.9%; New England 34, Atlanta 28 (ot)
2016; $132,545,587; $13,314,539; 10.1%; Denver 24, Carolina 10
