By HANNAH DREIER
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS – Sports fans bet a record $98.9 million at Nevada casinos on the Super Bowl.
The Gaming Control Board says unaudited tallies show 183 sports books made $7.2 million on the action. The San Francisco 49ers started out as a 5-point favorite but the Baltimore Ravens won 34-31.
Odds makers say California fans drove the unprecedented handle, flooding Las Vegas and northern Nevada with wagers on the hometown team. The 49ers hadn’t been in a Super Bowl since 1995.
The previous Nevada record was set in 2006, when gamblers wagered $94.5 million.
Casinos say they lost big on proposition bets, including a long-shot on whether there would be a safety.
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