Sports360AZ
Story by Brandon Bonaparte
Football. Pizza. Burgers. Drinks. These are all words that go hand-in-hand with Super Bowl Sunday. However, as of late, one more word needs to be added to the mix. That word is gambling.
With more states legalizing sports betting each year, more bets will likely be placed on Super Bowl LV than ever before.
South Point Casino Bookmaker Jimmy Vaccaro, who joined the Brad Cesmat Show earlier this week, believes that Las Vegas will still thrive during Super Bowl weekend.
“I anticipate we’ll probably do around 65 percent of room occupancy, which in today’s world right now, that’s pretty dog gone good,” Vaccaro said.
Because of a recent mandate issued by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, Las Vegas casinos, such as South Point, must adapt to the guidelines. They are making it work to make sure that everyone is safe.
“We’ll have plenty of ballroom because we can’t have the 1500 people in one ballroom, so we’ll split them up into our five ballrooms,” Vaccaro said.
As far as the game lines go, according to VSiN.com, the Kansas City Chiefs are slight favorites at -3, with the over/under being listed as 56.5. If gamblers are confident in a Tampa Bay victory, however, they can bet the Bucs money line, which currently sits at +153 odds.
“If you want Kansas City, you’re looking around to the -3, and if you’re looking for the underdog, you’re looking to take +3.5,” Vaccaro said. “We’ve been going back and forth for the past four days.”
In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, it isn’t uncommon for big bettors to make headlines with big bets.
“We took a fair bet yesterday right around four o’clock. A guy bet $55,000 to win $50,000. He took the +3.5, naturally,” Vaccarro said. “If you’re going to bet this game for any type of serious money, make sure you get the best price there is.”
$50,000 is a lot to some, but in the landscape of Las Vegas, it can pale in comparison to other wagers. When the bet is really big, casinos will use alternate ways to complete the action.
“If it’s a huge bet, something over like $100,000 to $200,000, well the people are getting more up to date on how to do this. They’d be wiring the money to the cage of the place you’re making the bet,” Vacarro explained. “Therefore, there’s no muss, no fuss, it just comes there, we go over with the patrons, pick up the money, come over with a marker, then we’re out the door. I suspect you’ll see a lot of those in the next few days.”
While large bets are common for the Super Bowl, Vaccaro believes that the common man can still enjoy betting on the big game without throwing down big money.
Like all casinos, South Point will have to wait until the final bet is decided Sunday night to see the total earnings, or losses for the day.
With a Super Bowl during the pandemic and in a time where many people are facing day-to-day struggles, spending Sunday afternoon enjoying one of America’s favorite football games will surely be a good escape.
“Just come, have a good time, bet your $50 on a few props,” he said. “It’ll make us forget about the misery we’re going through.”
