One of my regular readers wrote to express his satisfaction with Sunday’s Super Bowl performance. Remember, he was pulling for Cincinnati. He thought the Bengals were due for a championship, he enjoyed the Joe Burrow narrative, and he used the DraftKings app to place a couple bets on the Bengals winning the game.
Prior to the game, he placed a wager on the Bengals at +4.5 points. The reader then used the live in-game wagering function to double down after the Rams established an early lead on Sunday, securing Cincinnati at an incredible +9.5 points.
Bengals 20, Rams 23 in the final.
Naturally, the reader won both of those bets.
Additionally, he had Cooper Kupp, the top wide receiver for the Rams, earn MVP. The wager paid six to one, Kupp won the hardware, and he caught the game-winning touchdown. The reader, a retiree in his seventies, stated that he wagered on the game fifteen times and won eleven of them.
He made $312 in profit.
But what really caught my attention was what transpired en route. Because the reader acknowledged that when the game was coming to an end, he broke with convention and quit cheering for the Bengals. He is an avid sports fan who, like many Oregonians, is now able to legally wager on athletic events. This Super Bowl was something he had never experienced before. Late in the game, he decided to cash the two bets of +4.5 and +9.5 points. He switched sides and became more concerned with what Kupp needed to do to earn MVP rather than cheering for the Bengals to win.
The reader asked us a question: I wonder whether I’m alone.
He isn’t, I told him.
In fact, there was a comment from Geoff in Tualatin in my inbox not far away, saying, “Sports betting makes sports way more interesting.” He happened to need Burrow to be sacked at least five times (which won it, too) and for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to throw two interceptions (which won it) when he checked in during the game.
Brian also placed a $100 wager that both Stafford and Burrow would throw for at least 250 yards (which they did) and that both teams would score at least 25 points respectively. Brian was betting on the Bengals to make a game-winning field goal in the last seconds to force OT, tied 23-23, because he had 4.5-to-1 odds on the last part.
Once there, the team that won the first toss would need to make a field goal, and then the other team would need to make a field goal. Even though the game would have been in sudden death mode at that point, he would have won and the score would have been knotted at 26-26. I only bring this up because it’s clear from my inbox and the several texts I got from pals throughout the game that we’ve all gone crazy and aren’t cheering like traditional sports fans anymore.
I’m not passing judgment here. A casual observation, that’s all. However, I did observe that there would have been financial consequences if the game had gone into overtime. For simply being present, it would have paid some happy soul 9.5 to 1.
On Monday, I inquired about the Oregon Lottery’s experience with the Super Bowl. The organization introduced Scoreboard a little over a year ago, enabling wagering by citizens within the boundaries of our states. DraftKings, which has been in the sports wagering business for a lot longer and in a number of jurisdictions, took over all operations from the Oregon Lottery a few weeks ago.
I can tell you that we had more than 250,000 bets this year compared to 150,000 last year, but a lottery representative informed me that they are still receiving statistics from DraftKings.
Folks, that’s a 66 percent increase in wagers. The fact that the Scoreboard app appeared clumsy in comparison to the more well-known and seamless DraftKings app might be somewhat to blame. I’ll provide additional information as soon as the lottery provides it, but I’m left wondering if the growth we’re witnessing will alter how people in our state watch games moving forward.
More enjoyable?
More devotion to your bets and less conventional devotion to teams?
Determine for yourself how much you enjoyed the sensation.
The WestGate Superbook in Las Vegas is operated by Jay Kornegay. He informed me last week that the Bengals were the wager on 70% of the tickets purchased for Sunday’s game. He wagered $150,000 on the Bengals +4.5 points, which was the biggest bet he made in the lead-up to the game. The man placed the wager after entering carrying a duffel bag.
According to Kornegay, Americans enjoy watching football, wagering on it, and particularly enjoying that one event that takes place at the end of the year.
The Super Bowl is the only major sporting event in Oregon where people wager heavily. A bill that would remove the present prohibition on wagering on college athletics is being considered by our state legislature. Although they have very different demographics, Kornegay claimed that the Super Bowl and March Madness are tied in his society, so I’m curious what it would mean for the NCAA Tournament.
According to Kornegay, the Super Bowl audience is older and far more sophisticated. March Madness? It’s a frat party. The clientele is diverse. We need to stock up on burgers, bacon, and light beer.
At least one devoted reader seems to be hooked. I ll bet (no pun intended) that many of you have noticed your habits shifting, too. All of this may or may not be good. For heaven’s sake, make your own decisions and take responsibility. However, many Oregonians seemed to be cheering for more than simply the Rams or Bengals on Sunday.
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[email protected] is his email.
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