The thing I love most about Aria Resort and Casino is they’re always improving. That’s not only true for their rooms, restaurants, etc. It’s also true for their sportsbook. I’ve watched the Aria sportsbook evolve over the past year into one of the best sportsbooks you’ll ever find. There isn’t a more comfortable place to watch a game. The well-appointed Aria Sports Book follows the newer trend of lounge-style seating while being one of the more swanky sports betting havens on the Las Vegas Strip. There are different sections of seating areas within this sports book, which is tucked away in a corner of the casino area adjacent to the SkyBox Bar and Grill.

All around the world when people think of gambling, one of the first places that comes to mind is Las Vegas. And with gambling having become more and more on the forefront of American entertainment, there are now hundreds of casinos spread across the country. However, one of the many reasons why Vegas casinos are such a standout compared to the rest of the country is its incredible sports betting scene.

Nevada and Delaware are the only American states where sports betting is legal, but Delaware’s betting menu next to Vegas’ is a lemonade stand alongside a 5-star restaurant. The overall presentation and energy of a Vegas sportsbook is awesome, and undoubtedly one of the more exciting things you can be a part of during the day since the sports scene’s hours are primarily late morning to early evening.

Whether you’re on the strip or somewhere around town in a local casino, just about every casino has a sportsbook and most of them are large. It’s like walking into a big theatrical setting. You have the betting board conveniently off to the side showing the current lines of every sporting event happening that day and in front of you are many TVs. Some are small, a few are medium, and a few are huge. Depending on what’s going on that day the giant screens will either be showing the featured game on it, or it will be split into 2-4 screens.

There are always plenty of places to sit and the chairs are often the kind you can sink into. Leather, spacious, armrests, and if you’re at a place like the Bellagio they’ll recline too. If that’s not enough, you can always watch the game on one of their couches with an HD screen built into the table in front of you.

Inside the sportsbook you will also find the racebook, located on the other side. They too are packed with TVs showing all the current action of that day’s horse racing.

Since many people are serious about betting sports and the ponies, the average Vegas sportsbook also has many individual workspace slots and depending where you are some may have their own TV too. Some of them may be reserved for VIP players but quite often they are unoccupied, so anybody can sit and relax with their own desk.

The Betting Process

If you can’t find something to bet that’s on the board, somewhere off to the side are many additional pamphlets indicating more betting options for that day or for the future. Since there are so many options, there is cheering after just about every play as every outcome will have helped somebody.

On the betting board, each sporting team is labeled with a number and there are always numerous cashiers at the ready when you wish to make a bet. All you do is tell them what type of bet you want to make, (i.e. moneyline, straight bet, parlay) the team’s betting number(s), how much you’re betting, and 1-2-3 they print you a ticket clearly illustrating it all. Just make sure the ticket is correct and know you can’t talk on a cell phone when near the betting counter.

Most sportsbooks allow you to cash your ticket in for up to 120 days after the event has been completed. Some allow even longer than that, but either way you can get your money no problem because if say you bet on a future event (like who will win the next Super Bowl) and you’re out of town after a winner comes in you can mail it in for a check.

If you have a $100 winning ticket and wish to make a $100 bet, you don’t have to cash it in and bet again. You can hand over the ticket to be cashed but instead it will just be applied to your next bet. Just be careful with the tickets as they are small and flimsy. Losing your winning ticket is like losing cash. Should anyone happen to find it before you do and cash it in you’re screwed.

The Drinks and Eats

Being with a crowd in a sportsbook is as close to what it feels like to being at the game itself. Since there’s usually enough space to sit, you might as well make it a party. The nearest bar, sports food eatery, and bathroom is always nearby.

Unfortunately, Las Vegas sportsbooks have tightened up on the free alcohol. It wasn’t so long ago the cocktail waitresses would frequently come around and serve you anything you want, allowing you to have a great time at only a $1 tip per drink. Now they ask to see your drink ticket, with the most strict rules being at higher end places like the Wynn, Bellagio, or Aria.

To acquire a drink ticket, you ask for it at the betting counter but believe it or not, in the nicest casinos they are making you bet rather substantially these days just to obtain a single drink ticket. It’s usually around $100 and considering you can buy a drink from any of the numerous 24 hour bars inside the casino, there’s simply no logical explanation other than they’re trying to cut down on the traffic of drinks being served in the sportsbook.

If you’re looking for free alcohol without a hassle, your best bets are going to a place like the Westgate which has the biggest sportsbook in town or some of the local casinos that are a 20 or 30 minute drive off the strip. There they are much more lenient on giving away multiple drink tickets per bet and won’t require the bet is more than the minimum ($5 or $10). These new restrictions just deter people like me from going into the sportsbook to hang out, watch, and get drunk without giving the house a chance to make any money. The bettors themselves are still essentially drinking for free.

Strip Sportsbooks

The biggest and loudest sportsbooks will be found on the heart of Las Vegas Blvd. Packed with tourists every NFL Sunday and for all other major sporting events, Strip sportsbooks are the most convenient and modern, so it may tailor to all its traffic. Every casino has one and whether you’re going to a higher end place like the Aria or the strip’s more second rate casinos like Circus Circus or the Stratosphere, you will have no problem finding a comfortable place to sit and a big enough TV.

Aria Sportsbook
Bally’s Sportsbook
Bellagio Sportsbook
Caesar’s Palace Sportsbook
Casino Royale Sportsbook
Circus Circus Sportsbook
Cosmopolitan Sportsbook
Encore Sportsbook
Excalibur Sportsbook
Flamingo Sportsbook
Harrah’s Sportsbook
Hooters Sportsbook
Luxor Sportsbook
Mandalay Bay Sportsbook
MGM Grand Sportsbook
Monte Carlo Sportsbook
New York-New York Sportsbook
Paris Sportsbook
SLS Sportsbook
Stratosphere Sportsbook
The Cromwell Sportsbook
The LINQ Sportsbook
The Mirage Sportsbook
The Palazzo Sportsbook
The Venetian Sportsbook
Tropicana Sportsbook
Wynn Sportsbook

As all of them are beautiful, some of the larger ones are the MGM Grand, Bellagio, and Mirage. While the smaller ones can be found at the Cosmopolitan, Aria, and Encore.

Off Strip Las Vegas Sportsbooks

There are casinos all over the greater Las Vegas area, and some of them do not distinctly fit into one region or another. Most of these are just off the Strip or otherwise densely populated and trafficked areas.

Arizona Charlie’s Boulder
Arizona Charlie’s Decatur
Binion’s Sportsbook
Boulder Station Sportsbook
Downtown Grand Sportsbook
Eastside Cannery
El Cortez Sportsbook
Four Queens Sportsbook
Fremont Sportsbook
Gold Coast Sportsbook
Golden Nugget Sportsbook
Green Valley Ranch Sportsbook
Hard Rock Sportsbook
Longhorn Sportsbook
Orleans Sportsbook
Palace Station Sportsbook
Palms Sportsbook
Plaza Sportsbook
Rampart Sportsbook
Red Rock Sportsbook
Rio Sportsbook
Sam’s Town Sportsbook
Silver Sevens Sportsbook
Silverton Sportsbook
South Point Sportsbook
Suncoast Sportsbook
Texas Station Sportsbook
The California Sportsbook
The D Sportsbook
The M Resort Sportsbook
Tuscany Sportsbook
Sunset Station Sportsbook
Westgate Sportsbook

The majority of off Strip sportsbooks cater almost exclusively to locals. As a matter of fact, most tourists probably don’t know that most of these casinos even exist. With that said, they can be a great place to watch a game in relative peace, and many offer great value.

The Betting Process

The Drinks and Eats

Strip Sportsbooks

Off Strip Las Vegas Sportsbooks

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