Ravens' Super Bowl win a boon for Vegas profit

Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he celebrates victory over the San Francisco 49ers in their NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 3, 2013.

(Reuters) - Super Bowl gambling in Nevada rose to a record $98.9 million and the state's sports books cashed in when the Baltimore Ravens upset the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League's (NFL) title game.

The value of bets place in Nevada's 183 sports books was 5 percent higher than the $93.9 million wagered on last year's Super Bowl between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Nevada sports books kept a combined $7.2 million from Super Bowl bets, or 7.3 percent of the total wagers placed, unaudited figures showed. That was up from the $5 million they kept last year and the highest since pocketing nearly $13 million in 2007.

Casinos in Las Vegas were initially hoping for the 49ers, who entered Sunday's game as 3 1/2-point favorites, to prevail with a combined score of less than 47 1/2 points.

The Ravens won 34-31.

Every year, the NFL championship game creates a gambling frenzy in Nevada that is considered by some to be a bellwether for the broader U.S. economy.

The previous Nevada record for Super Bowl bets was set in 2006 when the game between the Seattle Seahawks and eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers drew $94.5 million in wagers.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Gene Cherry)