Super Bowl 60 Betting Reflects a Changing NFL Landscape for Sportsbooks

Super Bowl 60 produced a noticeably smaller betting handle in Nevada than recent years. Nevada’s 186 sportsbooks reported $133.8 million wagered on Seattle’s 29-13 win over New England, according to figures released Monday by the Gaming Control Board. That total is the lowest since 2016 ($132.5 million), and roughly $50 million below the state’s record handle set when Las Vegas hosted the game, which topped $190 million.

Books won $9.9 million on the game, a 7.4 percent hold. That’s down sharply from last year’s $22.1 million win on a $151.6 million handle, and well off some of the bigger win percentages seen in the last decade. For sportsbooks, the decline isn’t just about one box score; it’s a snapshot of changing bettor behavior and market conditions across the league.

Star power, game profile, and the public’s appetite

Industry voices point to several factors behind the drop. Westgate vice president of race and sports John Murray noted a “lack of star power,” observing that marquee names or household quarterback matchups tend to drive bigger wagering interest. Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito added that last year’s matchup featured two very public teams and followed a season where the public cashed more often, which boosted overall confidence and ticket volume.

This Super Bowl itself leaned defensive. Seattle led 9-0 at halftime, no touchdowns came until the fourth quarter, and the game stayed under the total of 45½. Bookmakers reported heavier “under” action on props, and lower prop betting contributed to the reduced overall write.

Big-money wagers still moved the needle

Even with a lower overall handle, high-stakes bettors were active. There were seven wagers of $1 million or more nationwide, including two at Circa Sports in Las Vegas. Circa recorded a $1.1 million money-line bet on New England (+188) that acted as a hedge against earlier Seahawks futures, a sequence that produced reported net winnings of about $8.1 million at Circa and another sportsbook. Circa also took a separate $1 million money-line wager on New England (+200) moments before kickoff.

BetMGM took a $725,000 hedge on the New England money line (+195), and another single wager of $788,000 came in on the Patriots +4½. Those large tickets show how individual risk management and hedging strategies still create big swings for books, even when retail action is muted.

Nevada’s Super Bowl record: consistency with a few notable exceptions

Nevada sportsbooks have posted wins in almost every Super Bowl tracked by the Gaming Control Board since 1991, compiling a 34-2 record on the event. The books’ two losses came in 1995, when bettors covered a massive point spread, and in 2008, when the New York Giants upset expectations. Those outliers are a reminder that even a long-term edge can be eroded by major upsets and concentrated action.

For context, here’s a compact look at recent Super Bowl handles and results, per the Gaming Control Board:

• 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
• When Las Vegas hosted; $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

What sportsbooks and bettors can take away

This Super Bowl underlines a few practical takeaways for operators and customers. For books, event-level factors — marketable stars, public confidence, and game script — can swing write and hold dramatically. For bettors, lower public interest can present value opportunities, but it also means sharper pricing and increased importance of shop-around liquidity and lines.

High-stakes action and hedging behaviors will continue to produce headline swings even when overall retail money is down. Operators that balance sharper market-making, flexible limits, and strong risk-management tools may weather quieter handles better.

For a detailed breakdown of the numbers and market movement, see the Super Bowl 60 betting breakdown. All promotional references and betting offers are subject to platform terms and conditions, and no result is guaranteed. Overall, Super Bowl 60 was a sober reminder that the NFL’s shifting landscape is reshaping how and where money moves — and that sportsbooks will need to adapt to a more fluid market.