What First-Time Sports Bettors Should Know Before Placing a Bet in Las Vegas
Key Takeaways
- Like sports bars, Vegas sportsbooks are welcoming, high-energy spaces built for watching games, hanging out and having fun. Betting is just part of the experience
- Whether you prefer help from a ticket writer, a self-serve kiosk or an easy-to-use mobile app, there’s no pressure and no wrong way to place your first bet
- You can move at your own pace with help from ticket writers and clear odds boards to place beginner-friendly bets, making it easy to start small, ask questions and get comfortable
People who love sports are also often into sports betting, and Las Vegas is a hotbed for this exciting hobby. It can be intimidating to get started, so you might want some tips on sports betting for beginners and why Vegas is the place to do it.
Sportsbooks are about so much more than betting. The vibe in these places is more like a sports bar than a casino. It’s about atmosphere; it’s about passion; and it’s about having an absolute blast with friends and strangers alike. Sports betting in Las Vegas is more than gambling. It’s an experience.
Sports Betting Basics
Every casino resort has a sportsbook (the part of the casino dedicated to betting on sports). In recent years, several states, including Nevada, also started allowing you to bet on sports on your phone.
Technically, sports bets have some of the best odds in the house: You have a 50 percent chance of winning basic wagers on sports, minus the vigorish, or the 4.5 percent of every bet the house keeps for itself.
What To Expect Inside a Sportsbook
Like sports bars, every sportsbook has televisions (sometimes dozens, other times hundreds). Some of the largest sportsbooks in Las Vegas even have movie theater–sized screens on which they project the biggest and most anticipated games. If you love watching sports, you might think you’ve died and gone to heaven. Caesars Race and Sportsbook at Caesars Palace is one of these heavenly places.
Like in sports bars, patrons at a sportsbook get really into the games. Part of that passion is because they’ve got money on the outcomes and part of it is because sports are just fun to watch. Depending on the game, the crowd might be as boisterous as it’d be if you were watching live at a stadium or arena.
Every sportsbook has a “board” on which you’ll find odds for every game imaginable. The odds are changing constantly, so it pays to follow odds for the games you want to bet on.
Most sportsbooks serve drinks. They'll typically have a bar as part of the setup. Others have cocktail servers that walk the floor, just they do in table game pits. Some have food, too: either counter service or table service (depending on where you sit).
Seating arrangements vary in every sportsbook. Some books have totally open seating, meaning first come, first served. Others have reserved seating and a food and beverage minimum. Several sportsbooks have a mix of the two. Some, like the one at The LINQ Hotel, have couches. During big events such as pro sports championships, reserved seats can sell out months in advance.
Three Ways To Play at Las Vegas Sportsbooks
Consider this Sports Betting 101: Action inside a Las Vegas sportsbook takes place in one of three locations:
1. The ticket window
2. A betting kiosk
3. On your mobile device
Ticket windows are usually at the front of the room, underneath the big screens. Here, ticket “writers” take bets that you give them verbally, punch those bets into a computer and hand over betting “tickets” that the machine generates. These paper tickets are like cash, so it’s important to keep them until the game you’ve bet on has ended.
If you win your bet, you bring the ticket back up to the ticket writer and collect your money. If you lose your bet, it’s perfectly OK to rip the ticket into little pieces and toss it in the air like confetti.
For bettors who’d rather avoid the ticket windows, there are two other options: betting kiosks and a mobile app.
Betting kiosks are computer terminals set up in various spots around the sportsbook where bettors can place self-guided bets. The experience is essentially the same as what you’d get at the ticket window. It just eliminates the ticket writer. When you’re done placing wagers at a kiosk, the machine spits out physical tickets for you to keep. These tickets are identical to the ones you’d get at the ticket window.
The third way to place a wager in a Las Vegas sportsbook is on a mobile device. Nevada and several other states allow sports betting on phones and other mobile devices, usually through a special sportsbook app.
Nevada requires in-person registration before using a sportsbook app, which means you need to sign up for an online account in person at the sportsbook with a valid ID. Typically, when you sign up, you deposit cash from which you make your first wagers.
Not all sportsbook apps are alike. The Caesars Sportsbook app is user-friendly, with thousands of ways to wager on all the most popular sporting events and more in just a few taps. This particular app allows guests to continue betting during their trip and even after they return home, so long as they’re going home to states where mobile gaming is legal. This is made possible by a feature called the Universal Digital Wallet.
Getting Comfortable With Betting at Las Vegas Sportsbooks
Sports betting can seem a little daunting. If you don’t know what sort of bet you want, or you don’t know how much money you need to fork over to wager on a certain bet, the whole process of sports betting in Las Vegas can be intimidating. What’s more, if you walk into a sportsbook for the first time during major weekends such as March Madness, the sensory overload can be overwhelming. There are some tricks to feeling confident, even if you’ve never placed a sports bet before.
For starters, it’s a good idea to take advantage of ticket writers and other employees who are there to help. If you know you want to bet on a particular game but you don’t know how to do it, explain to the staff members what you want and ask them to walk you through it. Even when there are lines, most ticket writers and staff members will be more than happy to guide you through a wager so you’re comfortable with your choice. In particular, these staff members can tell you how to place a bet and what to say when you’re doing so. The one thing they can’t do: give you guidance on which bets to make.
It’s also a good idea to set a budget and stick to it. While it might be tempting to press bets after losses and chase bets after wins, it’s also critically important that all gamblers play within their means. At Caesars Entertainment, we are dedicated to Responsible Gaming.
As you spend more time in a sportsbook, you’ll become more comfortable seeking out more complicated and more sophisticated bets. Some of these include “in-game” betting, which enables bettors to wager on things that happen within the course of the game.
Winning Beyond the Wins
Sports betting in Las Vegas is always best when you’re winning your wagers. Sometimes, bettors win in other ways, too. Because the atmosphere is so jovial, it’s not uncommon to strike up conversations with people sitting next to you. These conversations often lead to connections that extend beyond the sportsbook. Especially when you and your new betting buddies share a common passion for a particular team, the connections can blossom into friendships.
Betting on sports also exposes visitors to some of the nuances of the game, details that can enhance your appreciation of whatever sports you love to bet on. One example is the importance of defense in basketball: If you’re betting that both teams will score a point total under the “line” that oddsmakers set, you begin to root for good defense, which is a hallmark of good hoops.
Finally, whether you’re betting at a ticket window or kiosk or on the app, loyalty has its privileges. If you’re betting in conjunction with a players card such as Caesars Rewards, you can earn points and credits toward world-class dining experiences, hotel stays and other unforgettable perks.
Sports betting is not a standalone activity but part of the broader casino experience. It’s just another way in which guests can enjoy the time they spend when they come to play.
FAQs
Is sports betting in Las Vegas welcoming for first-time bettors?
Yes, betting on sports in Las Vegas is one of the easiest and most welcoming things you can do on a casino floor. Ticket writers are trained to help bettors place and read their bets to make sure they’re correct, and on busy days some casinos have a separate window just for beginners.
Can you place bets on your phone?
Yes, most casinos also now allow mobile sports betting in Vegas. Visitors can download an app on their phones, but you must register your account in person at the sportsbook with a valid ID before you'll be allowed to wager.
Can I just watch games and place a small bet, or do I need to know what I’m doing?
Regardless of your bet size, you can enjoy the atmosphere in a sportsbook. Betting tickets look the same whether you’ve bet $10 or $1,000. For this reason, many visitors use Las Vegas sportsbooks like a sports bar to watch big games.
Do I need to stay at a specific hotel to enjoy a great sportsbook experience in Vegas?
No. One of the best things about Las Vegas is that every casino has a sportsbook in varying sizes. Many casinos are also situated close together, so depending on your vibe, you can visit several different sportsbooks on a trip (or in a day). If you visit several casinos affiliated with the same players card program, Caesars Rewards, for instance, you might be able to get comps and drink tickets for every bet you make.
