By David Purdum
Feb. 8, 2016

A record $132.54 million was bet on Super Bowl 50 at Nevada sportsbooks, with the house winning $13.31 million, according to numbers released Monday by Nevada Gaming Control.

The $132.54 million wagered on the underdog Denver Broncos‘ 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers at the sportsbooks topped the previous record of $119 million set in 2014. The $13.31 million was the third most Nevada’s 194 regulated sportsbooks have ever won on the Super Bowl.

Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gambling Association, released a statement Monday that added perspective to the record betting volume, which ran as high as an estimated $4.1 billion in illegal wagers.

“The record amount wagered — legally and illegally — on Super Bowl 50 offers further proof that sports betting has become America’s new national pastime,” Freeman said. “Fans want to be invested in their favorite sports and, one way or another, will find a way to do so. AGA will continue to build support for a modern and rational approach that protects these fans and the integrity of the sports we enjoy.”

“Great crowds, great business and a really good day for Las Vegas,” Art Manteris, Station Casinos’ vice president of race and sports, said Sunday night.

It was the eighth straight winning Super Bowl for the books. They’ve been on the losing end of only two Super Bowls since the NGC began tracking Super Bowl betting in 1991. During that stretch, the books are up $157.7 million.

Their only losses came in 2008, when the New York Giants upset theNew England Patriots, and 1995, when the San Francisco 49ers routed the San Diego Chargers. Their biggest win came in 2014, with theSeattle Seahawks‘ rout of the Broncos. The books won $19.6 million that year.

This year, the books benefited from balanced action on the Broncos and Panthers. Sportsbook operator CG Technology said less than $50,000 separated the two teams, in terms of money bet on the point spread, with 51 percent of it on favored Carolina. The money bet on the over/under total at CG Technology was also evenly split. Carolina closed as a consensus five-point favorite, with the total at 43.5 at the majority of books.

“The under was by far the sharpest side,” CG Technology vice president of race and sports Jason Simbal said. “Seventy percent of the tickets were on the over, but the money was 50/50, so that tells the story.”

Original article: http://espn.go.com/chalk/story/_/id/14742837/record-132-million-bet-super-bowl-50-nevada-sports-books-doing-well