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LAS VEGAS – A historic women’s college basketball season ended with multiple sportsbooks declaring Sunday’s national championship the highest-bet women’s sporting event.
Red Rock Las Vegas director of racing and sports betting Chuck Esposito said the game not only eclipsed driving records but also the number of betting slips written on it.
“The game was on the main screen with audio in Red Rock, if that puts it into perspective,” Esposito said in a text message. “Incredible interest on the part of the public who watches and bets.”
BetMGM vice president of trading Craig Mucklow said this game drew twice as much money bet compared to the previous record, which was set Friday when Iowa beat UConn 71-69 in the national semifinals.
Jay Kornegay, executive vice president of race and sports operations at Westgate, said South Carolina’s 87-75 victory over Iowa to complete a perfect season nearly doubled the Hawkeyes’ Elite Eight victory over LSU in terms of money wagered.
“It would have been even more if the game had been played in prime time,” Kornegay said in a text message.
Sports betting records were expected to fall in what was a highly anticipated matchup between South Carolina trying to win its third title under coach Dawn Staley against Iowa and two-time AP Player of the Year Caitlin Clark.
Clark’s willingness and ability to shoot 3-pointers seemingly all over the court made her a magnet for betting and television ratings, drawing attention to women’s college basketball in record numbers. This was Clark’s last game at Iowa. She is the heavy favorite to be the number one pick in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever.
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