Gamblers Ready to Spend Big Bucks on Big Game
By: CNN Newsource
Updated: February 2, 2012
Sunday's Super Bowl will be watched by millions around the world. Advertisers will spend millions and fans will wager millions on the game.
Betting on sports -- whether legal or illegal -- is a huge business, and the Super Bowl is the biggest gambling event of the year. And this year's rematch between the New York Giants and New England Patriots could pull in the most money bet since before the recession.
Check out what Americans have wagered over the last four years...
Last year, Americans bet more than $87-million as Green Bay edged past the Pittsburgh Steelers. Compare that to the first super bowl match-up between the Pats and the Giants, when wagering totaled a whopping $92-million in 2008. That was also the only year that the casinos in Nevada actually lost money on the game, because the heavily favored Patriots lost.
Reports say this year's game could break $90-million mark in Nevada and that's just legal gambling in one hot spot.
There are hundreds of online gambling sites based in Europe and the Caribbean. Those sites will also be raking in millions but are hard to track because they're unregulated and based outside the U.S.
