From Record Highs to Pullback: Nevada Super Bowl Betting Cools in 2026
Nevada sportsbooks took in $133,813,230 on Super Bowl 60, the Gaming Control Board reported Monday, marking the lowest state Super Bowl handle since 2016, when $132,545,587 was wagered. The total is more than $50 million below Nevada’s record $190,020,783 handle set in 2024, and well under last year’s $151,618,159.
Books won $9,892,055 on the game for a 7.4 percent hold, a far cry from the $22,134,104 won in 2025, when the state posted a 14.6 percent hold.
Why Action Cooled: Star Power, Game Flow, and Prop Interest
Industry leaders point to a few clear drivers behind the pullback. Westgate vice president of race and sports John Murray noted a relative lack of established superstar quarterbacks in the matchup, which tends to reduce casual, big-public interest.
Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito added that the matchup followed a season that underwhelmed the public, and that two defensive-minded teams created more “under” action on props, which cut into overall prop handle. The game itself reflected that — Seattle led 9-0 at halftime, there were no touchdowns until the fourth quarter, and the contest stayed under the 45½ total.
Big Money Still Played, but Less Widely
Despite the softer overall handle, seven wagers of $1 million or more were reported nationwide on Sunday, including two at Circa Sports in Las Vegas. Circa reported a $1.1 million money-line bet on the New England Patriots (+188) placed as a hedge against earlier Seahawks futures positions that paid off heavily; Circa and BetMGM together handled net winnings tied to those futures positions estimated at $8.1 million.
Circa also accepted a separate $1 million Patriots money-line wager (+200) moments before kickoff. BetMGM took a $725,000 hedge on the Patriots money line (+195), and another player wagered $788,000 on New England +4½. Those large, targeted bets show sharp players were active, even as broad public action was muted.
Nevada’s Long Super Bowl Stretch: 34-2 Since Tracking Began
Nevada sportsbooks have lost money on just two Super Bowls since the Gaming Control Board began tracking in 1991: a $396,674 loss in 1995, when the San Francisco 49ers rolled as huge favorites, and a state-record bettor win of $2.57 million in 2008, when the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots.
A look at the past 11 years of Super Bowl handles and book results highlights the variability. Here are the betting handles, amounts won by Nevada sportsbooks, holds, and results:
| Year | Betting handle | Win amounts | Hold (win pct) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | $11,182,973 | 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, L.A. 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 |
Those year-to-year swings underline how matchup appeal, public sentiment, and prop markets can move the needle more than any single factor.
What This Means for Books and Players
For Nevada sportsbooks, the pullback is a reminder that star-driven narratives and marketable matchups drive mass-market betting. For serious bettors, the reduced public volume can create different pricing opportunities, especially on props and futures.
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The Super Bowl remains a major event for Nevada books, but this year’s numbers show how much player interest still depends on who’s playing, how the season played out, and where the public chooses to put its money.