Going to Las Vegas during the Super Bowl offers a unique experience to the sports gambler. There is a veritable smorgasbord of wagering options for each game, with the addition of plenty of props and alternate lines to the standard options.
My personal favorite weekend to visit Las Vegas during the NFL Playoffs is during the Divisional Round, because there are four games (but four better games than Wild Card Weekend) as well as tons of NBA and college hoops action to pass the time before, during and after football. That’s come and gone, but for those with trips planned for the Super Bowl, I’d like to offer some assistance in figuring out what sportsbook to go to, based on a few factors.
The most important things for me are viewing options and line availability. I want to be able to spray money all over the board, that way I at least lose it on a lot of different bets instead of just being heavy on one or two things, and I want to be able to watch everything I have money on. Let’s say there’s a playoff football game on, but I’m also sweating some MAAC hoops action because I got heavy on Sienna-Quinnipiac on a KenPom play. I want to be in a book that will have that game available to watch as well.
There are other factors go into the sportsbook selection process as well. Betting minimums for drink vouchers, seating availability, quickly accessible fast food options and location of the book with regards to ease of access from the middle of the strip are all important. I tend to be more flexible on these things, but figure out what matters most to you (and hopefully this can help narrow down the decision).
With all of those criteria in mind, here are my top 10 sportsbooks for the Super Bowl.
1. Westgate Superbook
The Mecca of sportsbooks. Westgate is just off of the very north end of the strip, but fairly easily accessible by way of the monorail or the car service of your choosing from the center of the strip. It has the world’s largest 4K screen that they shuffle around to fit the most games possible, while also making sure an NFL Playoff game gets prime placement.
When it comes to line availability, no other book matches Westgate. For the Super Bowl they put out an obscene prop sheet each year, and even Divisional Round games get 10 or so props for each matchup.
Westgate isn’t for everyone. This is where you go if the plan is to spend the whole day in the sportsbook. The seats are comfortable, but to get a prime seat you have to get there at least four hours prior to kickoff — if you show up less than two hours before, don’t even bother searching for a seat in the main room — or spend the $100 per person to get a VIP box. The theater, which opens on big overflow days like the Super Bowl, is a great alternative to the main room.
The biggest downside to Westgate is that food options are limited now to the Superbook Deli (which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner) and the pricy coffee shop by the check-in desk after the Pizza Hut (RIP) was taken out (unless you want take the time to hit the buffet or Benihana). That said, drink vouchers are not overpriced ($100 in wagers will get you two drink tickets, with a max of two tickets each trip to the window) and if you are smart enough to get there early, the wagering line won’t be out of hand as it will nearing kickoff.
2. Wynn
The Wynn is a more central location compared to Westgate as it’s on the north end of the actual strip, and comes the closest to providing a similar number of wagering options. The seats are comfortable, there are plenty of props on the board and, while not as big as Westgate, the screens are very nice. The bar in the book is an alternative seating option as many of the seats there are reserved and offers solid food options. Drink vouchers will cost you at the Wynn during big events (at the 2015 CFP National Championship it was $250 minimum bet to get one), but for someone looking for a less intense experience compared to Westgate with a similar variety of wagering options, it’s hard to go wrong with the Wynn.
3. Venetian/Lagasse’s Stadium
The Venetian is sneakily one of the best options when you combine their placement near the center of the strip (easily walkable from any of the hotels north of MGM and even doable from there), the terrific screen set up and the option of Lagasse’s Stadium. The main book is bigger than the Wynn’s with good seating options and a bar. Drink vouchers are pricy ($300 minimum bet), but it’s very close to Yardbird, one of my favorite restaurants in Vegas, and for someone in a group looking to pay for a premium experience, Lagasse’s Stadium is rated as the best sports bar in Las Vegas.
Lagasse’s Stadium will require a reservation, but for a large group it’s a worthwhile investment. You can wager from there and watch the game from tables or lounge areas, while eating gourmet food. If money is not an object (and it’s Vegas so why would it be) this has an argument for being the best option of them all.
4. Caesars
The newly renovated book at Caesars isn’t especially big, but the new screen, similar to that at Westgate, is extremely nice and the bar has been expanded. All the seats at Caesars are now reserved seats and it will cost a minimum of $100 just to get in, with other packages available that include food and drinks (one of the big perks of the Caesars book is that it’s by one of the best food courts in Vegas, so if you don’t get the food package, that’s a great option). The reason Caesars lags behind the top three is that it doesn’t offer as much variety with regards to lines, but with the expanded bar, VIP seating and new screens it’s now the best of the small books in Vegas, if you’re willing to pay the reserved seating fee.
5. Mirage
The Mirage often gets lost in the shuffle in Vegas as it’s on the north end of the high end section of the strip, coming after Aria, Cosmo, Bellagio and Caesars. However, the Mirage sportsbook is a really nice book with open seating as well as VIP seating options. It’s center of the strip and easy to walk to from anything north of the MGM/New York New York area. The food options around are solid (LVB Burger being the personal favorite of the faster options) and it’s just a comfortable, spacious book.
6. Cosmopolitan
This is another book that’s recently been opened as Cosmo moved the book from the second floor to the first floor right by the strip-side door. For someone looking for a more casual sportsbook experience, Cosmo is probably the best bet. It’s very open, with screens and seating on both sides with a bar in the middle, but what makes the Cosmo book unique is that it has a pool table (which is free) and shuffleboard tables (also free) on the edge as it spills out into the casino. The Cosmo book isn’t going to provide a ton of props or exotics, but for a casual fan who wants a less stressful sportsbook experience, this is a really good option.
7. Mandalay Bay
The biggest problem with Mandalay Bay is that it’s so hard to get to. It’s the furthest south casino on the strip, so without taking a cab or car service, you have to cross Tropicana Avenue to even get to the tram in Excalibur to ride over — unlike Westgate which has a monorail stop. Once you get there, the Mandalay Bay book is massive. It’s got tons of seating, good screens and plenty of lines available. If you’re staying at Mandalay Bay, there’s no reason to leave to go to another book (that’s part of their whole aesthetic being that far south is providing some of everything for guests). However, for those staying mid-strip or really anywhere north of Tropicana Ave, it’s not an especially popular spot because you have to go past so many other options before you get there.
8. Planet Hollywood
The book at Planet Hollywood isn’t especially big, but it wins in the food category by having an Earl of Sandwich across the hall and all manner of other fast food options just outside that you can run to and return quickly. This wouldn’t be my go-to spot, but in a pinch it works just fine. The seats are comfortable (although there aren’t a ton), it’s in the middle of the strip and the screens are plentiful.
9. Bellagio
I want to preface this by stating that the Bellagio is my favorite hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s my happy place in Vegas and I won’t tolerate a negative word said about it. The sportsbook in the Bellagio is perfectly fine. The reason it falls behind is that the screens need an update to keep up with the newly renovated books and the seating is limited and all reserved. The bar attached to the book is a good spot to hang out for the day for a more casual experience, but the book itself isn’t the best option on the strip.
10. MGM
The MGM is insanely big. You can walk for hours around that place, but surprisingly, in one of Vegas’ primary homes of boxing, the sportsbook isn’t especially big. It’s squeezed into a corridor near the front of the building, just past the front edge of the table games, and features solid lines and lots of TVs, just not huge ones. For big game viewing, it doesn’t offer a ton of seating as it’s so thin and stretched out. The best thing MGM has going for it right now in the sportsbook world is that the recently opened Top Golf has a sportsbook window in it, which is a game-changer.
