When compared to Las Vegas, all other casino markets in Nevada's gambling landscape are secondary.But Reno/Lake Tahoe gained a great deal from the Super Bowl thanks to the support of San Francisco 49ers supporters from the Bay Area in California.
Prior to the big game, Las Vegas was the hub of everything football, but some Northern California 49ers supporters chose not to spend the money on pricey flights and hotel accommodations in Las Vegas.Rather, they went to Reno, where they discovered that the "biggest little city in the world" was excited about the big game. Many 49ers supporters traveled from the Bay Area to the Reno/Tahoe area to watch their team play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, as reported by Ken Belson of the New York Times.
Even though Reno is the second-largest casino market in Nevada after Sin City, it is only a quarter the size of Las Vegas. On Super Bowl Sunday, Reno proved to be a strong contender to its southern neighbor and "big brother" thanks to three main factors: proximity, affordability, and the 49ers' participation in the game.
Compared to Las Vegas, Reno/Tahoe is a shorter flight or drive from the Bay Area. In addition, the Reno/Tahoe area has recently attracted thousands of Bay Area residents, a phenomenon that is difficult to measure in terms of Super Bowl impact. It's probable that some of the 49ers supporters who journeyed to Reno for the big game knew people who worked there or had relatives and family.
Companies like Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, and Tesla are drawn to Reno, which helps to keep unemployment around 3%, much lower than the national and Nevada norms.
Sportsbooks in Reno, Nevada Super Bowl Records posted
The fact that 38 states and Washington, D.C. allow legalized sports betting is largely to blame for this year's Super Bowl breaking handling records. In Reno, the pattern continued.
"We were completely sold out. Record handle and a sea of Niner fans,” said Jeffrey Benson, director of operations at Circa Sports, in an interview with Casino.org.
Based in Las Vegas In Sparks, at the Legends Bay Casino, Circa oversees the sportsbook. One of the newest casino hotels on the market, that establishment is housed in The Outlets at Legends retail area. It debuted for business in August 2022. Legends Bay's sportsbook was Circa's sixth in Nevada when it first opened.
Other gaming businesses that operate casino hotels in Reno and Tahoe include Tilman Fertitta's Golden Nugget, Bally's, Caesars Entertainment, and Century Casinos.
An Additional Super Bowl Advantage for Reno
Reno/Tahoe also gained on another front, as the Times noted. Many 49ers supporters who traveled to the area for the Super Bowl did so in order to place bets on the big game, which is illegal in California.
The amount of handle that may be attributed to bettors from California is not quantified by Nevada casino data collectors. But it makes sense to believe that the proportion was higher in anticipation of the Super Bowl. This gave sportsbook owners some respite, since they suffered from most gamblers taking the Chiefs both on the money line and the spread.
At best, it's unclear when sports betting will be legalized in California. This year's ballot will not include the subject, and even if it is adopted in 2026, it might take some time for tribal gaming organizations to accept mobile wagering.