LAS VEGAS - With a few hundred thousand dollars on the line, Kuulei Kalili hopes to make some critical plays in the NFL playoffs and catch a happy return on her investment.
"People are coming here betting hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars," she said. "You can pretty much view your options, all of your teams, your players, your lines. You can make your bets right here on the screen."
Kalili is from Hawaii and doesn't have a favorite NFL team in the playoffs. With eight teams and four games to choose from in the next two days, she's strategizing.
"I normally bet based on the stats and players. It's a combination of things," she said.
Whether bettors place hundreds of thousands of dollars or just hundreds of dollars, Las Vegas wins as a result of the NFL playoffs. M Resort bettors Stacey Hofferber and Jason Bartley are warming up their luck on basketball, but plan to place wagers on football Saturday.
"I like to come in here and watch everybody get emotionally excited over their choices, their teams and just kind of enjoy hanging out with my friends," Hofferber said.
"Last week, I was in for the Tebow game, and this place was going nuts - that overtime win," added Bartley. "I just think the vibe - when you not only have money on a game, but just everyone talking crap to each other - you can't beat the vibe at a sports book."
He's got his money on the San Francisco 49ers over the New Orleans Saints.
"I really like the 49ers at home. They've been soaking the grass all week long so Drew Brees won't be able to move the ball like they did in New Orleans," he said.
Every dollar counts this weekend for the Las Vegas economy. Michael Schnider is betting $25, but hopes to leave with more.
"That's my hobby," he said. "I like to do it, because that's all I really like to do."
Bettors wagered an estimated $87.5 million on last year's Super Bowl game alone.
