March Madness in Las Vegas – 5 Tips for Getting a Seat at the Sports Book
The opening rounds of March Madness are some of the busiest days of the year for Las Vegas sports books – most sport books in town are packed to the gills during the opening weekend of the NCAA basketball championship. Standing room only is not uncommon at most places and even the large “super books” like Caesars Palace and The Mirage have no available seating by the time opening tip-off occurs.
Big Crowds for March Madness in Las Vegas (photo-Vegas Chatter)
There are different ways to score a seat at a Las Vegas sports book during March Madness, some methods are easier than others, but with some planning you can assure yourself (and your feet) a comfortable experience during one of the most exciting sports weekends in Las Vegas.
5 Tips for Getting a Seat at the Sports Book During March Madness
1. Plan Sports Book Time for Saturday and Sunday
Everyone is pumped up Thursday and Friday of opening weekend, and even though the excitement rolls right into Saturday and Sunday, far less people are getting up early after a couple of days of “party time” in Las Vegas, therefore sports book seating gets a little easier. So, if you are in town on Thursday and Friday and discover that the sports book is a mad house at 8 a.m., don’t worry – it gets a tad more manageable (in the morning at least) as the weekend progresses.
2. Avoid the Smaller Boutique-Style Sports Books
I will start by saying that some of the coolest sports books in town are one’s with more intimate set ups or lounge style seating – The Golden Nugget, Aria, and Cosmopolitan are a few that come to mind. As cool as these spots are (and they are very nice sports books) their overall lack of seating will make scoring a spot during March Madness that much harder.
3. Social Media
There is a large network of March Madness in Las Vegas fans connecting via Twitter and Facebook. Get to know these folks and it may come in handy come game time. There is a Facebook Community of March Madness in Las Vegas fans and Twitter can be useful for more instant information about which sports books or parties have some empty seats available. If you are on twitter, check out hash tag #mmilv to get connected.
4. Seek Out a Viewing Party
I know, viewing parties aren’t exactly sports books, but there are plenty of free options around town that not only have multiple screens set up in resort ballrooms or theaters, but also have betting stations or kiosks set up for wagering on the games. The drinks and food are cheap, betting is available, and the crowd is just as much into the hoops action as the folks that scored seats at the sports book. These “makeshift” sports books that many casinos put together have ample space and seating is usually available with all of the amenities (large screens, betting stations) that you find in the sports book.
The Vegas Parlay List of March Madness Parties in Las Vegas
5. Be an Early Bird
If you can stomach heading to the sports book while the night clubbers are stumbling back to their rooms and the casino floor is being vacuumed, then you have a good chance of scoring a seat. But every year it seems like March Madness fans are claiming their sports book seat earlier and earlier. If a 5 or 6 a.m. jaunt to the sports book and sitting for several hours until tip off doesn’t phase you, then there could very well be a seat with your name on it at the sports book.
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