It’s football season and that’s prime time for sportsbooks to make money. More money is wagered on football than any other sport. Casinos win more money from football wagers than any other sport according to UNLV Gaming Research.
Not only do sportsbook operators want to take care of their best customers, but they want to maximize revenue during the busy season. Some sportsbook operators choose to squeeze any money from customers they can. Other operators want to keep current customers happy and improve the experience to draw more customers who are looking for the classic sportsbook experience.
Location is key for many visitors to Las Vegas. The vast majority of visitors stay on the Vegas Strip and it makes sense that someone would want to watch and wager on the games near home base for a vacation. Seats at sportsbooks on the Vegas Strip are in high demand because of the location. Some locations will reserve seats in the sportsbook for customers willing to spend money. The cost might be tied to wagers, food and beverage, or a reservation fee for seats.
I have a group of friends that visit every year during football season. We make sure to have reserved seats at Lagasse's Stadium for one day and at Blondies for another. The size of the group varies, but it’s important to have those seats reserved since it's not easy to save seats for a large group. The reservation fee goes towards a food and beverage minimum at both places. We’d spend the minimum anyway so it's not a financial strain.
Sportsbooks Off The Vegas Strip
Not everyone that visits Las Vegas feels the same way about spending money as my crew. Further, not every sports bettor is putting a dime on every game. There are plenty of football bettors wagering $5-$100 on a game (or games) that just want a great place to watch the football. I say this often, but Las Vegas offers something for everyone.
The sportsbooks on the Vegas Strip are great but there are plenty of great places to watch and wager on football all around Las Vegas. Visitors need to get out of the bubble for a different experience.
While many of the books in downtown Las Vegas are small and may be crowded, there’s one huge watch party for NFL games this year. The Downtown Las Vegas Events Center across from The D has the Downtown Watch Zone. The outdoor football party is free and has plenty of room. You can find more information here.
There are plenty of great sportsbooks all over town that offer similar or better experiences than the Vegas Strip properties. While it’s close to the Vegas Strip the Westgate isn’t technically on the Vegas Strip. This is one of the best football environments in town but you probably know that already. The sportsbooks at Red Rock Casino, Green Valley Ranch, and Santa Fe Station have similarly large Ultra HD screens to watch the games with plenty of seating.
The South Point offers great lines and some of the most passionate football fans in town. Rampart Casino just opened a new book that features the same lines as South Point with plenty of seating options and great video poker.
Between Gold Coast, Palms, Rio, The Orleans, Hooters, Silverton, Hard Rock, and Palace Station there are plenty of good sportsbooks within just a few minutes of The Strip.
Before moving to Las Vegas I never considered watching and wagering on games at a book that wasn’t on the Vegas Strip. After living here for a few years, I realize that there are some great options all over town.
Locals casinos are doing great business and the owners are improving many of the properties and many of the upgrades include a better experience in the sportsbook.
While some operators look at this part of the casino as a way to generate new revenue the off-strip properties have a different view. Many of the off-strip casino operators still look at the sportsbook as a way to keep customers in the casino and want to offer the best experience they can. Judging from a lot of recent tweets there's definitely a market for people looking for sportsbook options away from the Vegas Strip.
Earlier this year I wrote that it’s a great time to look off the Vegas Strip for a Vegas Vacation. It’s also a great time to consider watching and wagering on football off the Vegas Strip.
There are plenty of great locations off the Las Vegas Strip for football viewing
The South Point offers great lines and some of the most passionate football fans in town.
