Nevada’s sports books took in $98.9 million in bets on the Super Bowl, resulting in a win of $7.2 million, or 7.3 percent. The "handle," which is the total amount bet, was a record, topping the previous high of $94.5 million in 2006. The Baltimore Ravens’ 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers meant that Baltimore and over (total points scored) bettors got the money. The house doesn’t always win, but it usually does: This was the 21st time in 23 years that the casinos have won on the Super Bowl.
» Props lose: Despite having a higher casino advantage than "straight" bets, the sports books claimed a loss on proposition bets this year. The culprit was 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose strong numbers in the game rewarded a swell of bettor backing with lots of winning tickets. The prop bets continue to increase in popularity; the most this year, as usual, were posted at LVH’s "SuperBook," which had 350 different bets.
» Bacchanal hike: The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace has raised prices again. That’s four price increases in four months for Las Vegas’ priciest buffet. It’s now $25.99 for breakfast, $32.99 for lunch, $41.99 for Champagne brunch, $45.99 for dinner and $50.99 for weekend dinner. The discount for showing a Total Rewards card is now just $1 for all meals.
» Eureka eats: A new restaurant called Fat Choy has opened at Eureka, a small casino on Sahara Avenue about a mile east of the Strip. It’s run by chef Sheridan Su, who’s known in Las Vegas for the Chinese street-food favorites he served from his Great Bao truck, and later from a restaurant that operated inside a beauty salon.
Question: Was there an over/under on the national anthem this year?
Answer: There were lines at offshore sports books on this proposition that’s become a tradition in the world of Super Bowl betting. Despite the high total of 2:05, Alicia Keys’ arty rendition flew over by 20 seconds.
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