College basketball fans pack Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia for March Madness
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Live! Casino & Hotel in South Philadelphia was bustling with the sights and sounds of March Madness as fans came out to cheer on their favorite teams on Thursday night.
Delaware native Dan McDermott plans out this day every spring.
"Me and my high school buddies come out here and celebrate March Madness," McDermott said. "It's our favorite day of the year."
Debbie Height, 71, was out with family and friends to celebrate both the annual basketball tournament and her birthday.
"I enjoy myself, my birthday, family, celebrating and March Madness with everybody," she said.
This year thanks to high-interest players in both the men's and women's tournaments, bettors in the United States are expected to wager nearly $2.7 billion during March Madness -- double the amount they bet on the Super Bowl.
Live! Casino's Senior Vice President of Marketing, Jake Joyce, said the ease of betting has attracted a new audience of fans.
"It's allowed you to put more skin in the game and every point, every minute, half-time, quarter-betting has really allowed people to take ownership throughout the entire game," Joyce said.
And whether you're a casual fan or simply rooting for your bracket favorite, many say "everyone" wins during the big dance.