That number increased by the evening when a $1 million bet came into MGM for “Money May,” Rood confirmed with MMA Fighting after the news initially appeared on ESPN.com . That wager would net about $182,000 if Mayweather wins.
The average bet on Mayweather is around $6,000, Rood said, while the average bet on McGregor is just $125.
Rood said he wouldn’t have done anything differently with regards to the line. This strategy, he said, is the norm for Mayweather fights. The MGM bookmakers are no stranger to the all-time great boxer.
“We always need the ‘dog in the Mayweather fights, because they are such a big price,” Rood said. “We always need Mayweather to beat the ’dogs. We’re in the same position we always are with Mayweather. Mayweather has been boxing under the MGM roof a long time. We sort of always book the fight so that we need Mayweather decision. This fight is no different. We’re booking it that way and I wouldn’t want to have any other side than Mayweather. I want the guy that’s 49-0 to make some money. I might get upset, but at least I’m playing the percentages.”
If McGregor somehow beats Mayweather at his own game of boxing, MGM and every other sports book in Las Vegas will take a hit. Money will be lost, Rood said, but it certainly won’t be anything catastrophic.
“If he wins, MGM will have a losing night,” Rood said. “And the state of Nevada, from a sports betting perspective, will have a losing night. But if he wins, there’s gonna be lines out the door of every sports book cashier and a lot of happy people flowing out into the rest of the casino and the clubs and everything. From that perspective, the money will be flowing through the city.”
The house always wins in the end.
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