The ridiculous ‘time over or under’ bet ruined the Super Bowl

Lady Gaga slayed her performance, but it’s the length that has more people concerned

On top of the commercials and the viewing parties, prop bets are now a tradition on the Super Bowl scene. Most notable this year was the under-over bet on the national anthem–will the performer complete the performance in under or over a certain time? This year, the betting site Bovada set the turning point at 2:20. And after Lady Gaga’s rendition, it appeared that the “over” people would be getting paid. An NBC producer timed the result at over 2:20.

But, she sang the words “the brave” twice. With money on the line based on the result, it’s no wonder that people were asking whether the clock stops at the end of the performance or at the end of the correct words. Bovada took the latter stance and settled the performance length at 2:09, which meant that it would actually be paying those who bet under.

Even with an official ruling, though, the payout decisions are not uniform. According to RJ Bell, BetOnline, a similar site, is still paying “over.”

The national anthem has certain words, and therefore the bet should only count those exact words. Words added in are there for dramatic flair, but that should be it. And for those who made a bet on this, or just want to watch Lady Gaga slay again.

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