Las Vegas expecting $23.1bn payday as Travis Kelce makes Super Bowl LVIII claim
For decades, the NFL steered clear of Sin City, afraid of the association with gambling in a country where legal betting was severely restricted.
The idea of players being influenced by people involved in gambling was always a hot topic that the league wanted to avoid at all costs. Their position relaxed more recently, particularly with the advent of online gambling, to the point where Las Vegas was awarded a team and now a Super Bowl.
And as befits the city’s reputation, this game is likely to see a seismic betting day across the country. The American Gaming Association is forecasting that not only will the number of people betting on the game go up significantly but so will the amount wagered.
Last year’s game saw 50million Americans bet around $16billion on the game where Kansas City beat Philadelphia but this time, the AGA expects about 68m people to lay down some $23.1bn on the contest. Even Vegas has never seen a pay day like that.
Meanwhile, Travis Kelce’s performance in the AFC Championship Game against Baltimore two weeks ago is the reason Kansas City still have a chance to win consecutive Super Bowls. Eleven catches – some of them among the finest of his illustrious career – for 116 yards and a vital touchdown disposed of the No.1-seeded Ravens and sent the Chiefs on to Vegas.
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But although he is considered the best tight end in the league, Kelce stands in awe of his opposite number, George Kittle, whose season at tight end for San Francisco has been impressive.
Kelce said: “When it comes to a complete tight end, I don't know if there's another one playing at a high level like George Kettle. From running routes, to blocking, to what he can do with the ball in here.
Kelce is looking forward to going up against San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)“On top of that, how he catapults his team. He brings everybody around. The energy over there in San Fran, is George Kittle. There's a reason why he wears that C [captain’s badge] on his chest.
“It's going to be an honour to go up against him. And it's going to be motivating to try to play better than him on Sunday. But it's a team game. And I know that I got a lot of faith in my quarterback and the guys around me to get it done.”
Elsewhere, Brock Purdy has had a season to get used to those who doubt him, despite helping to lead his team to the Super Bowl. While Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson continue to earn respect for being the prototype quarterbacks of today, the San Francisco 49ers youngster has suffered from critics thinking he makes too many mistakes and is not at an elite level.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has been getting advice from veterans ahead of the Super Bowl (Getty Images)Purdy has given up trying to counter what others think of his ability and has turned instead to some of the club’s wise heads on how to handle tomorrow night’s game of his life. “Not making it what it's not,” he said when asked about what advice they had offered.
“I've heard a lot of guys say it's a big moment. It could be the biggest game of your life but what it comes down to is 11 on 11. It's football. You can't get wrapped up in all the stuff outside, what's going on throughout the week.
“We're here for a reason. What we've done all year has got us here. We can have confidence in that. What we've done all year has been good enough and we just got to continue to do that. I've heard that from multiple veterans.”
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