Las Vegas sportsbooks avoid 7-figure losses with Mayweather victory

Las Vegas sportsbooks were shaking in their boots in the early going of Saturday's superfight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor. The Irishman came out swinging, and had he been able to connect with a knockout blow, some Las Vegas sportsbooks would have been on the hook for a seven-figure loss, according to ESPN's David Purdum.

"I was sweating," Art Manteris, the vice president of race and sports for Station Casino sportsbooks, admitted afterward.

At the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, 87 percent of the bets made were on the 4-1 underdog McGregor, but about 85 percent of the money was on the undefeated Mayweather.

"After the dust settled, we finished on the positive side. If it went 25 seconds longer, would have been a little better, but (we're) very satisfied with the result," said Jay Kornegay, Westgate's head oddsmaker.

Mayweather took control of the fight in Round 4 and never looked back, TKOing McGregor in the 10th round.

Sportsbook CG Technology said Mayweather's victory resulted in a "high six-figure" profit for the house, while a Mayweather loss would have cost it seven figures. Caesars Palace said it made $2 million on the fight.

William Hill's sportsbook deemed the fight the company's biggest decision ever, and admitted an early-round win for McGregor would have cost millions.

By midafternoon Saturday, William Hill's Nevada sportsbooks had seen twice as much money bet on Mayweather-McGregor than Mayweather's duel with Manny Pacquiao in 2015 (which drew an estimated $60 million).

Six $1-million bets were made at Las Vegas sportsbooks - five more than Nevada books took in for Super Bowl LI.

It was "one of the biggest boxing wins" for MGM's sportsbook, which took two $1 million bets on Mayweather, vice president Jay Rood said after the fight.