The Caesars Superdome turned out to be a fine NFL gift before drawing the curtains to the 2024 season. Did the people of New Orleans get their treat? Some, yes. But the workers? Not so much. You see, for us, the pigskin fanatics, Super Bowl is ‘it’. Fudge that! SB LIX averaged a record 127.7M U.S. viewers across television and streaming platforms. Read that again… It was a spectacle that turned into a financial juggernaut, promising a windfall. But who really cashed in? New Orleans, the hosts. And the reports say the city saw an economic boost of over $500 million (expected to exceed).

That sounds like a victory dance, but for the city’s service workers—the backbone of this show-stopper—it’s a different story.

While hotels, luxury services, and high-end restaurants see booming business, many workers barely see a bump in their paychecks. Let’s talk numbers. About 125,000 visitors flooded the city, driving hotel rates to $600 per night with near-full occupancy. Bars, restaurants, and event services had all hands on deck for D-day.

Yet, the majority of hotel-motel tax revenue (75.5%) goes to the state, leaving just 9.5% for New Orleans. And the workers? Many are still stuck earning the federal minimum wage—$7.25 an hour. In a city known for its hospitality, that paycheck barely covers a night out in the French Quarter, let alone rent.

Talking about the French Quarter, it did good. Co-owner of Joey K’s on Magazine Street, Amanda Spain, told FOX8, “We thought we were going to have a huge crowd for the Super Bowl. But we didn’t the big numbers that I think the French Quarter got.” However, at the same time, she said she was happy with the exposure the city got.

Well, with all due respect, that’s coming out of a privilege in a society that puts her in that position to ‘find happiness in not meeting goals’. For the city’s minimum wage earners, Super Bowl or not, they are going home with what’s chalked off against their name.

The wage battle is nothing new. Louisiana is one of the few states without its own minimum wage, meaning workers rely on the federal baseline. Meanwhile, more than 30 states have raised their wages beyond $7.25. If you’re a service worker in New Orleans, that means you’re making the same as you would in a small rural town—except you’re serving $1,000 bottles of champagne to Super Bowl VIPs. Fair? Not by a long shot.

Advocacy groups aren’t staying quiet. Step Up Louisiana and other labor rights organizations have been pushing for a livable wage. Their latest effort? The Workers’ Bill of Rights (WBOR), which encourages businesses to offer paid leave, healthcare, and fair wages. It’s not a mandate, but companies that comply will earn a “Healthy Workplace” designation—hopefully turning ethics into a competitive advantage.

New Orleans isn’t alone in this fight. Austin has a Living Wage Program, Durham has a Workers’ Rights Commission, and other cities are finding ways to prioritize workers despite state-level roadblocks. The trend is clear: workers are demanding a seat at the table. And when a city’s biggest event generates half a billion dollars, it’s hard to justify keeping wages stagnant.

This isn’t just a one-game problem. Look at Glendale, Arizona, the host of Super Bowl XLIX in 2015. The city spent between $579,000 and $1.2 million on hosting expenses. The economic boom? Not as big as promised.

Ahead of this year’s showdown, WWNO published an article titled: ‘Super Bowl packs an economic punch, but researchers say it’s not the big score the NFL touts’. It reflected the Super Bowl’s impact often gets over-hyped, with cities bearing costs that quietly eat into any supposed profit. New Orleans may see dollars flowing in, but the question remains: who gets to keep them?

Super Bowl: Not for the people… For the State

The league bills Super Bowl as a citywide win—a cash cow that pours millions into the local economy. On paper, it looks like a dream scenario. Over 6,400 media members flood in, hotel bookings skyrocket, and businesses brace for a once-in-a-lifetime payday. The state cashes in on tourism, corporate sponsorships, and tax revenue. But let’s call it like it is—who’s actually walking away with the biggest W?

Follow the money. Stadiums packed, bars overflowing, streets buzzing—it feels like everyone’s winning. But beneath the surface, the financial reality isn’t so glamorous. The state pockets a hefty chunk of the revenue through taxes and long-term business deals. Meanwhile, the workers—the bartenders, hotel staff, and service industry backbone—are left with extra shifts, not extra paychecks. The wealth? It stays concentrated at the top, leaving the local workforce playing special teams while the state celebrates in the end zone.

Let’s talk numbers. The NFL generates billions in revenue, but the direct financial benefit to local workers is minimal. Jobs created? Mostly temporary. Wages? Often stagnant. Economic mobility? Still a Hail Mary. Sure, the state enjoys increased tax revenue, but that money rarely circles back to the communities doing the heavy lifting. The game might last four quarters, but for many, the financial struggle is year-round.

And speaking of money, let’s talk about who really gets to enjoy the Super Bowl experience. This year, Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to attend the game, a historic moment—if you could afford to witness it. His trip, however, came with a staggering price tag. Between the Air Force One flight (nearly a million dollars) and the millions spent on security, taxpayers were footing a bill that could have funded actual local economic improvements.

Infrastructure investments are another key piece of this puzzle. States justify spending millions—sometimes billions—on stadium renovations and security under the promise of future returns. But when the Super Bowl packs up and leaves, what’s left? More often than not, it’s the state officials and corporate investors reaping the long-term benefits, while everyday workers are left waiting for a trickle-down that never comes.

And let’s not forget—hosting the Super Bowl isn’t free. Public funds are often used for stadium upgrades, additional security, and city-wide beautification efforts. That means taxpayer dollars are feeding an event where ticket prices alone are out of reach for the average fan. The spectacle might bring prestige, but at whose expense? If the financial rewards aren’t reaching the people who need them most, then who’s really winning?

So, let’s be real. The Super Bowl isn’t designed to uplift local workers—it’s built to maximize state profits and corporate interests. The exposure, the prestige, the tourism—it’s all great for long-term state growth, but that doesn’t mean much to the people grinding behind the scenes. For them, the Super Bowl is a high-stakes game where they’re not even in the starting lineup.

And like any big business, the biggest paydays go to those already holding the power. The state wins. The corporations win. But for the people? It’s just another shift, another week, another year of watching the riches pile up somewhere else.