{"id":17423,"date":"2014-01-22T04:49:00","date_gmt":"2014-01-22T04:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=17423"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:41:11","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:41:11","slug":"game-day-in-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/game-day-in-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"Game day in Vegas"},"content":{"rendered":"

You don\u2019t need a ticket to a big sporting event to feel like you\u2019re part of the action; all you need is a seat in one of Las Vegas<\/a>\u2019 sports books.\u00a0Think of these cavernous rooms as an oasis for watching sports. In addition to windows where you can wager on the outcomes of games in every sport, the facilities have movie screen-sized televisions, full bars, and great food. During the year\u2019s biggest sporting events, <\/span>Vegas<\/a> sports books also attract crowds that get so boisterous, you feel like you\u2019re actually at the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The only difference? Instead of cheering on their favorite teams and players, most of the people who watch from a sports book are cheering on their bets (which doesn’t necessarily always correspond to allegiances). This time of year, in the w<\/span>inter and early spring, is the best time of year to tap into this scene.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In January, the books come to life on weekends for the NFL playoffs. Toward the early part of the month\u2014the divisional rounds\u2014the places fill up early, since a 1 p.m. kick-off on the East Coast means a 10 a.m. kick-off in the Vegas Valley.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>By halftime of the morning game (usually around 11:15 a.m. local time), the books are buzzing with excitement. Strangers high-five. Friends chant. Everyone clinks gin greyhounds or Miller Lites. That electricity generally carries through until the end of the evening game. After the final whistle, it spills out onto the gambling floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In February, action revolves around the big game. Many of Las Vegas\u2019 biggest books offer special Big Game packages that include buckets of beer, all-you-can-eat buffet, and reserved seats. Smaller books have different types of promotions: t-shirt giveaways, raffles, and live interviews with retired stars.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Action during the game itself is standing-room only. In addition to cheering on traditional wagers, such as point spreads and point totals, fans get rabid over proposition bets, which are straight-up wagers on a particular occurrence (such as, say, a defensive touchdown). For this reason, most books are buzzing all game long. And when there are bet-altering plays down the stretch, the roars can be deafening.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Viewfinder Tip: Book a table for big events to guarantee yourself (and your group) a seat in the sports book.
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My favorite time to visit Las Vegas sports books, however, comes every March during the annual NCAA men\u2019s basketball tournament.\u00a0<\/span>Because the crowd is younger, because many schools have spirited alumni, and because there is a ton of action (32 games) on the first full weekend of play, the daily experience inside the books is like one long tailgate party from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Since 2004, I\u2019ve made a pilgrimage to Vegas with a bunch of friends to experience this spectacle first-hand. We wear matching t-shirts. We squeeze into a booth. And we spend three or four days cheering, drinking, smoking (shhh, don\u2019t tell our wives), telling jokes, and generally catching up. Some of us bet the games. Some of us don\u2019t. In the end, the gambling is secondary to relaxing and watching sports.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Over the years we\u2019ve crashed in the sports books at popular Las Vegas Strip resorts including Caesars Palace<\/a>, Wynn Las Vegas<\/a>, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino<\/a>, the Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino<\/a>, and MGM Grand Hotel and Casino<\/a>. In recent years, we\u2019ve opted to hole up at Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa<\/a>, which is off the Strip, in Summerlin.\u00a0<\/span>Though the Strip properties generally are more crowded, experiences at all of these spots have been similarly exhilarating.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Before you book your next Vegas<\/a> trip to experience a big game in the book, consider this advice:<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. Do some research and see which books will let you reserve a seat (or seats)<\/strong>. Even if you have to pay extra for this peace of mind, having an assigned spot in the book is infinitely better than the alternative (showing up at 5 a.m. to make sure you get one of the first-come, first-served chairs).<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Reserve a hotel room<\/strong>. We typically get a suite on site, so that we can roll out of bed and show up in the book without much effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Invest in a flask and buy your own booze<\/strong>. No, sports book managers don\u2019t love it when people do this, but (so long as you\u2019re not being obnoxious) they usually won\u2019t stop you and the strategy can save you a ton of money.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Finally, remember that if you do gamble, do it responsibly\u2014bring a bankroll, stick to that bankroll, and avoid the ATM. This way, win or lose, it\u2019s all about the fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What sporting events would you like to experience in a Las Vegas sports book?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n


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Experiencing the thrill of watching big games in Las Vegas sports books<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1782,1788,1860,1870,1774,1812,1807],"tags":[43,41,17],"authors":[2227],"class_list":["post-17423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destinations","category-interests","category-las-vegas","category-nevada","category-occasions-and-seasons","category-sports","category-winter","tag-adults-only","tag-all-the-guys","tag-gaming","authors-matt-villano","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGame day in Vegas | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/game-day-in-vegas\/\" \/>\n<meta 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