We know that the dramatic Monday Night Football game left the Green Bay Packers losers and the Seattle Seahawks controversial winners, but what else was affected by the game? How about the gamblers?
According to reports from the Associated Press, up to $300 million may have changed hands around the world based on the call from the officials that decided Monday night's game.
Following a Hail Mary pass from quarterback Russell Wilson, replacement officials ruled on the field that Seattle receiver Golden Tate and Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings both had possession of the ball, which is a reception for the offense. After looking at the replay they upheld the call.
If the call was ruled an interception, the Packers, who came into the game as 3½ point favorites, would have won by five, which would have covered the spread.
"Most of the customers in the sportsbook were not happy with the final call," said John Avello, director of the race and sportsbook at the Wynn in Las Vegas to Darren Rovell at ESPN.com. "The shift was 100 percent. After the (Seahawks) score, all bets were reversed."
Mike Perry, spokesman for betting site Sportsbook.ag, told ESPN.com the money swing on the call at the end of the game was between $200 million and $250 million. He added that 70 to 80 percent of the money was put on the Packers.
Gambling expert RJ Bell of Las Vegas-based Pregame.com told the Associated Press that he thinks two-thirds of bets worldwide were on the Packers, and that sports books took in at least $150 million because of the call.
"Due to one call by the replacement refs, the bettors lost $150 million, and the bookie won $150 million for a total swing of $300 million on one debatably bad call," Bell said.
Oddsmakers have tried to take the replacement referees into account when setting lines this year, but this is the first time an official has explicitly decided the outcome of a game. There have been calls throughout games that affected play on both sides, but there hasn't been a controversial call on the very last play of the game until this week.
"It's the first call that has directly affected the outcome, but there have been many that have affected the outcome or the spread directly," said Oddsmaker Danny Sheridan, who sets the lines for USA Today, to ESPN.com.
The NFL released a statement on Tuesday that explained the ruling and upheld the decision. They confirmed that Tate should have been called for an offensive pass interference penalty, but that the officials made the right call in not overturning the play.
It was truly a perfect storm for the NFL, with a nationally televised game, a chaotic final seconds and complete mismanagement by the officials.
Whether this incident becomes the reason the referee lockout finally ends remains to be seen, but one thing is clear, the NFL knows how to get money to change hands.
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