Gambling on Big Game is a cinch
By SCOTT LONG
Published February 4, 2005
If you think you need to know something about football to bet on the Super Bowl, you're wrong:
One online sportsbook is taking bets on whether there'll be a "wardrobe malfunction" at halftime this year.
Scores of zany bets like that join the more traditional ones leading up to the biggest day in sports betting. More than $81 million was wagered legally in Nevada on last year's Super Bowl, but as much as $6 billion changed hands illegally -- from online sites to office pools to friendly bar bets.
So, if you have more money to burn than knowledge of how to bet it, here's a quick guide to wagering on the Big Game (assuming, of course, you promise you'll abide by local, state and federal laws):
Types of bets
Casinos don't care which team wins or loses. Why? Because they make their money by charging you a commission, also called "juice" or "vig." So they'll offer all kinds of bets -- parlays, teasers, futures -- to get you to dig into your wallet. But for beginners, here are the most common types of bets:
Point spread: The Patriots are favored by seven points. If you bet on them, they need to win by eight or more for you to win. But if you bet on the Eagles, they need to win, or lose by less than seven for you to collect.
Money line: If you don't want to worry about those messy points, you can bet on your team straight up. If your team wins, regardless of the score, you win, too. Since the Patriots are favored, you'll need to bet more money than you'll win (bet $26 to win $10 for a payout of $36). To bet on the Eagles, the opposite is true. (bet $10 to win $22 for a payout of $32).
Over/under Who cares who wins? Not you. You just care how many points are scored. If you say "over," you want the score to add up to more than 48. If you said "under," you want it to be less than 48. And just like point spreads, numbers can differ between sportsbooks, so shop around.
Propositions: Here is where serious sports bettors make their cash. Literally hundreds of strange bets are offered every year, from who will win the coin toss to who will kick more field goals, to the absolutely insane, such as "will Paul McCartney trip at halftime?"
Party games: Okay, you're not a serious gambler, but you're having some friends over to watch the game, and want a little sumthin'-sumthin' to spice up things. All you need is a piece of paper and pen to play "Squares." (You also need a creative prize for the winners, because I know you wouldn't do this for money. That would be illegal). Each square corresponds to a number for the Patriots and a number for the Eagles. If your numbers match the final score, you win. For a full explanation, visit online-internet-casinos.net/football-betting-squares.html.
Where to bet
Casinos: Nevada has the only ones in the country where you can walk in and make a bet legally. But if you don't feel like jetting across time zones, jump aboard St. Petersburg's Ocean Jewel , which sails to international waters -- and outside of local laws. It has a sportsbook, though you'll have to reboard to collect your winnings.
Internet: Why would anyone go through all that effort when you can make a bet with a click of the mouse while in your jammies? Well, technically it's illegal, or so says the state and federal governments. Enforcement on the street level, though, is rare. Instead, the government has concentrated most of its efforts on making it harder for you to fund your online accounts. Some credit cards can no longer be used for Internet gambling.
Bookies: Puh-leeze. Return The Sopranos to Blockbuster, and join the real world. The days of risking a limb to contract with a "connected" friend with a pinkie ring to make a bet are long gone.
-- Have a gaming question you want answered? Just e-mail it to long@tampabay.com
Celebrity betsJennifer Lopez , who often chided then-hubby Ben Affleck about his gambling, wagered $250,000 on our Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the 2003 Super Bowl, the Las Vegas Sun reported. She claimed a cool $400K.
Pro golfer Phil Mickelson , who once raised PGA officials' eyebrows by winning a $500 bet on a golf shot, put $20,000 down on the Baltimore Ravens to win the 2001 Super Bowl -- before the season began, theLas Vegas Review-Journal reported. That 28-1 shot paid off at $560K.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush won a case of 1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from then-California Gov. Gray Davis when the Bucs beat the Raiders in 2003. But Florida laws on wine delivery stymied Davis' every effort to make good on the wager. Bush had to settle for two bottles, hand-delivered.