The kick was a long one, 55 yards to win the game in overtime.
Those seated at North Carolina's newest in-person sportsbook on Sunday afternoon moved a bit closer to the edge. Those standing behind them, rubbed their hands together or checked their tickets again or nervously chewed their fingernails.
Other WRAL Top Stories
When the kick from Pittsburgh's Chris Boswell clanked off an upright, some cheered loudly. Others threw their heads back and their hands in the air. Boswell's overtime miss extended the Steelers' game with Cincinnati, though minutes later he would redeem himself and hit a game-winning, 53-yard kick for a 23-20 victory – and, most importantly to those in the room, a cover for the underdog Steelers.
The Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain is located just off Exit 5 on Interstate 85, about 35 minutes from Charlotte and just minutes from the South Carolina border. It opened last week, just before the NFL season kicked off. On Sunday, the first full day of NFL action, between 50 and 100 customers crowded into the casino's newly-opened sportsbook to place their bets, watch the games and cheer along.
"This is going to be a weekly ritual for me," said 26-year-old Ryan Pena, who made the 40-minute drive from Kannapolis.
Two Kings is the third sports betting facility to open in the state, but, by far, the closest to a major population center. There are sportsbooks at both casinos operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the southwestern corner of the state. Pena, like others taking in the games Sunday, have gone to the Cherokee casinos, more than a three-hour drive away.
The opening of another sportsbook in North Carolina comes just months after legislation to allow mobile sports betting in the state failed by a single vote in the state legislature. Opponents were against allowing more widespread gambling in the state and cited societal costs associated with gambling in defeating the legislation. Supporters, which included the state's largest professional sports teams, plan to bring the legislation back in the next legislative session, which starts in January.
Pena said he would bet on his phone, if it were legal, "everyday, everyday, everyday."
At Two Kings, which is operating out a temporary facility at the moment, there are about 30 kiosks on which players can gamble up to $500. Wagers larger than $500 can be placed at a walk-up counter.
The touchscreen kiosks have menus that look very much like the sports betting apps that the legislation would have legalized. Some players struggled with the machines, flagging casino employees for help. Wagers can be made not just on the outcome of the games, but a wide menu of other game-related events -- such as receiving yards by a certain player or total points scored.
"I'm loving it," said Kenny Fernandez, 25 from Salisbury, who traveled with Pena to the casino. He'd bet on a number of games in a parlay, which means each game had to it in order to win, but promised a much larger payout if he won. If he won, "I'm sleeping like a baby tonight," he said.
Two Kings is on land that the federal government put in a trust for the South Carolina-based Catawba in 2020 with the intentions of building a resort and casino. The current complex is temporary as the tribe works to build its permanent resort. There are cranes at the ready on the highway and other construction equipment stationed behind the facility, but construction has been delayed as the tribe waits for final approval from the federal government.
About 1,000 slot machines take up much of the space in the temporary facility right now and, on Sunday, many were being used. There are no live table games, but video terminals where you can play roulette. Food and drinks, including beer, wine and cocktails, are available on site. The sportsbook has television, fewer than a dozen plus seats, kiosks and a few slot machines.
On Saturday, for college football games, it was even more crowded than on Sunday, according to those who were there both days.
"It's going to do well," said Dennis Wilhelm, a 66-year-old from Newton. Wilhelm said he's been betting on sports, in some fashion, since he was 14, but that he prefers the live action to the mobile apps. "I'd come here. I love the atmosphere, the crowd, the energy. It's just exciting."
The sportsbook attracts a younger, more male and more racially-diverse clientele than the slot machines. On Sunday, some fans wore Carolina Panthers' jerseys, but several other teams – the Baltimore Ravens, the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants – were represented among the bettors.
A 20-page brochure that outlined the rules and explained odds and other aspects of sports gambling was available in the sportsbook. It contains a small disclaimer on the front page, asking players to "please play responsibly and within your limits." It offers a phone number for the National Council on Problem Gambling for assistance "if you or someone you know has a gambling problem."
The National Council on Problem Gambling said a recent survey found that problematic sports betting was found to especially prevalent among two groups: sports bettors who play daily fantasy sports and younger gamblers (ages 18 to 44).
"The trends we are seeing around sports gambling and problematic play are very concerning," said Keith Whyte, the executive director of the NCPG, in a statement released around February's Super Bowl. "Too many people still don't recognize they are exhibiting signs of this addictive behavior and are unaware of the help that is available to them."