B.C. sports betting site on pace for record-setting Super Bowl
The B.C. Lottery Corporation’s sports betting site PlayNow says the Swift effect is picking up steam just in time for Super Bowl Sunday.
“It’s unprecedented in the sense that Taylor Swift has really thrust herself in the fandom of the NFL,” said Matt Lee, a spokesperson for BCLC.
He says wagers for the big game are way up, and also credits how sports gambling is becoming more mainstream.
“We’re already up 70 per cent in terms of the number of bets made at this year’s Super Bowl, and this year we’re expecting more than $2 million of bets will be made,” said Lee.
Bet totals for this year’s game are on pace to break last year’s record of $1.8 million.
Beyond betting on the game, fans can wager on various “prop” bets, such as how long the national anthem will last and if the opening coin toss will be heads or tails. There are more than a dozen Swift-related prop bets to choose from.
“Among the most popular ones are will Travis Kelce propose to Taylor Swift on the field after the game (and) how many times will she be shown during the Super Bowl broadcast,” Lee said.
Metro Vancouver pubs and restaurants are also gearing up for a profitable weekend.
“We do anticipate doing four to five times the sales that we do on just a regular Sunday,” said Pete Mahony, owner of Mahony’s Tavern False Creek.
Mahony’s Tavern has several giveaways planned, including an all-expenses-paid trip to watch an NFL game next season. Only customers who watched games during the season at the pub are eligible to win the trip.
Despite the San Franscisco 49ers entering the game as a slight favourites, Lee says around 80 per cent of B.C. betters are choosing the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kickoff for Superbowl LVIII is set for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on CTV.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is still standing in Jasper, including the town's namesake bear statue, and what isn't
Images emerging from the town of Jasper are painting a picture of what's still standing and what isn't after wildfire tore through the community on July 24.
Summer McIntosh wins Canada's first medal at Paris 2024 with silver in women's 400m freestyle
Summer McIntosh has won Canada's first medal of the Olympic Games in Paris with a silver in swimming's 400-metre freestyle.
BREAKING FIFA deducts points, bans Canadian coaches in drone-spying scandal
FIFA has deducted six points from Canada in Olympic women's soccer standings and banned three coaches for one year amid a drone-spying scandal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
UPDATED Fire crews take advantage of recent weather in Jasper National Park
Cool and wet weather continued to help crews battling the wildfires in Jasper National Park.
'We will rebuild': A look inside the wildfire devastation in Jasper
Richard Ireland's eyes well up with tears as he gazes in silence towards his home and sees memories of a lifetime burnt to ashes.
Man arrested after alleged attempt to grab child: TPS
A man has been arrested and charged after allegedly attempting to grab a child in east Toronto earlier this month.
Rocket attack on town in Israeli-controlled Golan Heights kills at least 11. Netanyahu hurries home
A rocket strike Saturday at a soccer field killed at least 11 children and teens, Israeli authorities said, in the deadliest strike on an Israeli target along the country's northern border since the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah began. It raised fears of a broader regional war.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
Some residents won't leave B.C. community despite wildfire evacuation orders
It's been a calmer 24 hours on the wildfire front in B.C., but hundreds of properties remain under evacuation orders in the Central Kootenay region as anxious residents hope for the best.