How To Score Big At Sportsbooks On The Strip

Watching teams like the Las Vegas Raiders play on their own is great, but nothing beats the adrenaline rush you get when there’s money at stake. Nearly 20% of U.S. adults 21 and older say they bet on sports at least once a month, according to a market research report by Technavio. Thousands of sports bettors hit the Las Vegas Strip every year to make wagers on their favorite games. The Strip has more than 20 sportsbooks, each with its own personal flair.

Packed with tourists during every major sporting event, the seats fill up quickly at the craziest and classiest sportsbooks on the Strip. Find out what it takes to get a free drink at a sportsbook and more, but first, five of the best sportsbooks on the Las Vegas Strip.

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook

Behind the Strip, get into the game at the Westgate, billed as the World’s Largest Race & Sportsbook. Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook boasts the largest wagering menu in the state of Nevada. A traditional sportsbook, the Westgate SuperBook features a massive 220-foot-by-18-foot 4K video wall that can broadcast 56 events simultaneously.

For many of us, watching sports is an almost spiritual experience when we’re devouring chicken wings, nachos and pizza, or drinking beer from a keg. The Superbook has its own food court, and fans can order a game-day selection of food to be delivered right to their seats. Bettors can also eat at the bar and choose from a wide variety of domestic, craft, and International beers. With video poker machines and a great view of the video wall, every seat’s the best seat at The Westgate SuperBook Bar.

An exclusive section of the Superbook has VIP booths for viewing sports and horse racing, with 32″ LCD screens at every seat. The recently renovated more than 30,000-square-foot smoke-free Superbook has 19 wagering windows and seats more than 350. Free WiFi and charging stations for cell phones are provided. 

Wynn Las Vegas Race & Sportsbook

Wynn Las Vegas Race & Sportsbook recently underwent a major renovation. The sophisticated red room has plush leather armchairs with a nearly 1,600 square foot wraparound LED screen. A sports bar, in the center of the action, serves 100 different types of beer, and craft cocktails. A new addition to the sportsbook, Charlies Bar & Grill serves all-American fan favorites including pretzels, nachos, burgers and dogs. Cocktail service is said to be top notch at this fantastic venue.

With ample seating and one of the biggest screens on the Strip, the sportsbook comes equipped with USB plugs and electrical outlets for cell phone charging at every seat. The Wynn Las Vegas Race & Sportsbook has 13 betting stations and Encore has three. The VIP area takes luxury to the next level with a plush lounge, oversized couches and multiple screens. For a more private VIP experience, luxury box seating is available with a reservation.

Caesars Race and Sportsbook at Caesars Palace

Huge screens and comfortable seating make this Caesars Entertainment sportsbook a favorite of local and out-of-town bettors alike. This Caesars Palace hidden gem was voted the best destination for sports betting in Las Vegas four years in a row by Las Vegas Review-Journal readers. With a custom 143-foot curved HD LED screen and seating for more than 140, the sportsbook is laid out for the ideal viewing experience from every angle. Comprised of 36 race and sports feeds, the LED curved video wall is suspended from the ceiling. Sports bettors can place their wagers at one of 13 betting windows.

Guests can order food to be delivered to their seats or step right outside for some affordable options at the Forum Food Hall. Caesars Race and Sportsbook at Caesars Palace recently ran a “Hoops on the Strip” promotion offering bleacher seating and VIP Fan Cave packages. The Fan Caves included couch seating for up to 10 guests, unobstructed views of the TV wall, priority access to betting windows and an all-you-care-to-drink wristband.  Seats for this year’s Super Bowl LVI watch parties at Caesars Palace started at $212 and included three free drinks. One of the parties, at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, starts at $225 per person and includes unlimited food and drinks.

Race & Sports Book by William Hill at The Venetian

The luxurious sportsbook at the Venetian features a massive video wall, comfortable seating for more than 100 and 65 private booths for racing. The 10’ tall by 100’ wide sports screen features multiple monitors that can broadcast 42 different sporting events simultaneously. Each seat at the Venetian sportsbook has a plush red desk, personal monitor and a black swivel chair.

The Venetian designed more than half a dozen Super Bowl LVI experiences like in-suite viewing with a dreamy combination of fatty foods and tequila shots delivered to your door. Viewers who wanted to watch the game with like-minded sports fans could attend a Cocktails & Kickoffs viewing party with a live DJ to take over after the final play. The nearly 10,000-square-foot sportsbook is next to the Venetian Poker Room. If you’re only interested in placing a quick wager, there’s a betting kiosk located behind the Electra Cocktail Club on the casino floor at The Palazzo.

BetMGM Race & Sports Book at Mandalay Bay

Because of its proximity to Allegiant Stadium, The Mandalay Bay Sportsbook is at the heart of the action during Las Vegas Raiders home games. The giant sportsbook has 17 large screen TVs and seats 300. Inside, the Sportsbook Grill serves salads, sandwiches and burgers, along with game day fried favorites like onion rings, french fries and fried zucchini. An enclosed luxury box offers VIP treatment for groups of one to eight. Super Bowl 2024 will undoubtedly be a madhouse at the Mandalay Bay sportsbook when the game is played at Allegiant Stadium. With easy access to the airport, the non-smoking sportsbook is located next to the poker room and the “Michael Jackson One” theater.

How do I get free drinks at a sportsbook?

Unlike on the casino floor, cocktail servers don’t take orders for complimentary drinks at Las Vegas sportsbooks. Instead, sports bettors get free drink tickets when they make their wagers. Getting a free drink at a sportsbook these days is no easy feat. The minimum bet required to get a free drink varies from casino to casino, but it’s typically between $50 and $100. Some upscale Strip casinos require bets of up to $300 to $400 per drink ticket, but those minimums aren’t etched in stone. Whether or not your wager meets the minimum, try asking your ticket writer for drink tickets.

Sports Betting Apps

In today’s technologically advanced society, sports fans have more choices than ever. A high tech dilemma for modern sports bettors: whether to wager online or go to a Las Vegas sportsbook in person. Most sportsbooks on the Strip have a retail location as well as an app that can be downloaded to most mobile devices. Well-known apps include BetMGM mobile app, Caesars Sportsbook app, Wynn Mobile Sports app and William Hill Nevada Mobile Sports app. While avid sports fans use the apps from inside the sportsbook, a wager can be placed on the app from anywhere in Nevada. Even with the app, you have to go to the sportsbook in person to register for your mobile wagering account.

Super Bowl Tourism

Super Bowl weekend is one of the busiest of the year in Las Vegas. With around 30 Super Bowl viewing parties on the Strip, betting was through the roof at Vegas sportsbooks this year. Football fans in Nevada wagered $179.8 million in 2022 on the big game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. An all-time record, Super Bowl bets were up 13.4% over the previous record of $158.6 million set in 2018. Another boost to local sports betting revenue, an extra week of regular-season NFL games in 2022 helped Nevada sportsbooks hit more than $1 billion in wagers for a fourth straight month in January. 

Golden Knights Impact 

Loyal fans pack Las Vegas sportsbooks whenever the home team is on the ice. Golden Knights fever is a local tradition. When they play, long waits at betting windows and standing room only in sportsbooks are part of the experience.  The Golden Knights captured our hearts and filled local sportsbooks to capacity from the moment they skated into town.