Winners and losers pack Rivers Casino for 1st Super Bowl with legal betting

Chris Renda won $100 with the flip of a coin.

The Penn Hills resident was among the first winners Sunday at Rivers Casino as hundreds gathered to watch — and bet — on the Super Bowl.

Renda bet on tails and started the game off a winner.

“I’m undefeated,” he joked.

Hundreds of gamblers waited in line Sunday afternoon at Rivers Casino to place their bets before the start of the Super Bowl. Many more gamblers, money already on the line, sat in front of one of Rivers Casino’s giant televisions waiting to see if luck would be on their side. This is the first year Pennsylvanians are legally allowed to bet on the Super Bowl, and it appears they are happy about the change.

“There’s always a chance to win money,” said Jamison Somerville, of Pittsburgh’s Hill District.

There’s always a chance to lose some money, too.

Pittsburgh residents Sam Logsdon and Danny McElroy had bet there would be a touchdown in each quarter, but as the minutes ticked by in the first quarter, they knew they were going to lose that one.

“I’m surprised no one has scored yet,” Logsdon said as the second quarter began with both teams tied at zero.

By Sunday afternoon, about 60 percent of the bets on the money line had been for the Los Angeles Rams to win, but people were betting more money on the New England Patriots to win, said Andre Barnabei, vice president of slot operations for Rivers. Barnabei said he couldn’t provide any specific numbers on how many people were at Rivers for the Super Bowl or how much money has been bet so far.

“The turnout over the past 48 hours has been amazing,” he said before the game started Sunday.

Somerville bet on the Rams to beat the Patriots.

“I like football, and I hate the Patriots,” Somerville said.

Rivers was one of three facilities in the state to get a sportsbook up and running in 2018. Three other casinos in Pennsylvania opened sportsbooks in January. The U.S. Supreme Court in May struck down a federal law prohibiting sports gambling in most states. Eight states are now in on the action, including Pennsylvania neighbors West Virginia, New Jersey and Delaware.

Jimmy Vaccaro, director of sports relations for Rivers, said he knew sports betting would be embraced in Pennsylvania. The change was something he had been pushing for since the 1970s.

“It’s long overdue,” he said. “It’ll get bigger and bigger.”

Vaccaro said he was “very, very pleased” with the turnout at Rivers on Sunday.

Barnabei said one of the most popular bets has been on Penn Hills native and Pitt All-American Aaron Donald, who now plays for the Rams, to win the MVP award. He said for people betting $100 they could win $1,400 if Donald is named MVP.

Pat Ellis drove to Rivers from Washington County to place his bets and watch the game. He put down around $750 on various bets.

“It was easy for me to figure out,” Ellis, a first-time bettor, said.

He said he hopes to see the sports betting area expanded and free drinks tied into the experience in the coming years.

Wexford resident Matt Aland was another first-timer who wagered about $100.

He said he was taking advantage of the “prop bets” which allow you to vote on various plays and actions.

“Prop bets keep you involved throughout the whole game,” he said.

Emily Balser is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Emily at 724-226-4680, emilybalser@tribweb.com or via Twitter @emilybalser.