Nevada sports books took in $136.1 million in Super Bowl wagers, a 12% decrease from last year. The drop in the handle was blamed on significantly fewer visitors in town due to COVID-19 concerns.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs meant that Bucs and under (total points scored) bettors got the money. The books won $12.5 million, which was a healthy 9.2% of the handle. The house doesn’t always win, but it usually does — this was the 29th time in 31 years that the casinos have won on the Super Bowl.

New sports bar: The Caesars Palace Forum Food Court will host a new sports bar, called Stadia, which will open this spring. Facing Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, Stadia Bar will be big — 2,200 square feet with 120 seats. The bar’s design, architectural details and artwork will give Stadia the appearance of a sports arena.

English Beast: The Beast by Todd English has opened at AREA15. It’s a 6,500- square-foot food hall that features fare ranging from cheeseburgers to chile-lime watermelon salad by the celebrity chef, formerly of Olives at Bellagio and other high-end restaurants on the Strip. AREA15 is a new noncasino entertainment complex located across I-15 just west of the Strip.

Test kitchen: Vegas Test Kitchen has opened downtown. It’s a unique format that allows several chefs to work out of a “communal kitchen.” It was originally floated as a place for new chefs to perfect their game, but several who are there have impressive credentials and some run restaurants that are currently closed. If nothing else, there’s plenty of variety, including pizza, sushi, bagels, ramen and even a Bulgarian specialty called “baniza” (stuffed pastries).

Question: Are there any plans for reopening the Palms?

Answer: During an investor call, the head of Station Casinos said the Palms will reopen when visitation to Las Vegas increases, but no date has been set. The Palms is one of four Station properties that has still not reopened, along with Texas Station and two Fiestas.

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