LAS VEGAS, NV (WTKR)- The biggest annual sporting event in the world is kicking off in the gambling capital of the world. That's not a bad combination considering the rise in sports betting over recent years. The Super Bowl is setting Las Vegas up for a possible record-breaking week.
"We're hosting the biggest game of the pro football season and that was something we never thought would happen years ago," said Lamarr Mitchell, the director of trading for MGM Resorts.
Mitchell and his staff have been eagerly anticipating Super Bowl week. Now it's finally here.
"We have been waiting for this since they announced the big game was going to be here for (Super Bowl) 58," he said. "It's just been one big giant ball of excitement just waiting for it to get there."
Mitchell has seen the world of sports betting take off. With more and more states legalizing sports gambling and the launch of mobile apps, more money is flowing through sportsbooks than every before.
"There are so many options for guests to be on now," he noted. "Previously you would only have the games and the totals and the sides and the money lines. Now you have so many player props, you have so many in-game better wagers."
That makes the Super Bowl even bigger. If it happens in football, chances are you can place a wager on it.
"Who's going to score the first touchdown, that's always one of the big ones," Mitchell pointed out. "Will there be a safety? That's another big one."
The longtime MGM employee says he's seen traffic into the organization's sportsbooks pick up this week, noting he's seen plenty of jerseys representing pretty much every NFL team. So far it looks like his customers have a clear favorite.
"Right now we see more Chiefs bets. Definitely more Chiefs bets and everyone is betting the total over so far."
According to Mitchell, the single day record for sports bets in Nevada is around $120 million. He says that will possibly fall come Sunday just another example of how gambling on the games has changed Sin City.
"It has absolutely made us the sports capital of the world," he said. "Growing up here, having the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, that was our big team and now we have so many different options and so many events."
If you or somebody you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
