Las Vegas has so much to offer, including heading out to Sin City with friends and family to spend a couple of days betting on the biggest sporting events.
Whether it's the Super Bowl, March Madness or simply a random weekend littered with your favorite sports to bet, Vegas vacations can be a blast no matter when you head out West.
Whether you're visiting the desert for your first sports betting vacation or simply want to improve your experience, here are seven quick tips to make the most of betting in Las Vegas.
How to Place Bets at Las Vegas Sportsbooks
Placing your first bet at a brick-and-mortar sportsbook can be intimidating, especially during popular events with packed casinos and long lines of anxious gamblers.
The two initial pieces of advice I have to give are:
- Make sure you have the rotation numbers, bets you want to make and money ready when you get to the counter.
- Check your ticket for accuracy BEFORE you leave the counter! Busy sportsbooks are stressful for ticket writers, too, so make sure to check that your ticket reflects what you were attempting to bet before you walk away from the counter so any errors can be immediately fixed. Because once you leave the counter, that bet is official, no matter what the ticket says.
Here's a full list of seven tips for betting in person at a sportsbook.
How to Use Las Vegas Sports Betting Apps
I can't stress this enough: Take the time to download and fund Las Vegas sports betting apps.
Big sporting events are fun to bet, but they also bring huge lines of people waiting to bet at sportsbook counters. If you have betting apps setup, you can place your wagers from anywhere within the state of Nevada.
Apps also allow you to instantly shop the major Vegas casinos/sportsbooks for the best possible lines, which is very important for maximizing line value.
Learn more about the advantages, disadvantages and setting up Las Vegas sports betting apps.
How to Track Your Bets
Events like March Madness provide plenty of games to bet on, which is why the NCAA tournament is so popular among sports bettors. However, keeping track of your bets in real-time is crucial in also managing your bankroll for the trip.
Take a minute to download The Action Network's mobile app. Not only can you track live odds from the biggest Las Vegas sportsbooks, but you can also quickly input all of your bets and get live, in-game win probabilities for every game from start to finish.
How to Drink for Cheap in Las Vegas
Part of what makes betting in Vegas so appealing is sitting back with a cold beverage while sweating your bets. However, the days of drinking for free while betting on sports are long gone, meaning drinking can get expensive.
And as bettors, we're not going to Las Vegas to spend all of our cash on booze, so it's important to find cheap drinks in order to keep as much money as we can where it belongs … in our bankrolls.
One easy way to minimize your boozing costs is to stash your beverage of choice in your hotel room, especially if you're betting at your hotel's sportsbook. Hit a convenience or drug store — there are plenty on the strip — and load up your sink and/or bathtub with ice and drinks.
Once your sportsbook drink tickets are gone, take turns heading up the room, grabbing a handful of drinks and rejoining your group.
Want more advice for drinking cheap in Las Vegas? There's an article for that.
Las Vegas' Best Hangover Cures
If you can't tell already, I enjoy drinking and gambling in Las Vegas. But with the cheap drinking tips above comes those pesky morning hangovers.
Luckily for you readers, I've subjected myself to plenty of hangovers — in the name of research — to help you nurse yourselves back for another round of what we do in Vegas.
For example, my favorite restaurant on the strip is Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. Besides its incredible food and a killer view of the Bellagio water show, this French bistro boasts a fantastic bloody mary bar. Wake up, wash down a Zantac with a Gatorade before hairing the dog with a custom-made bloody mary and you'll be all set to take on the day.
Not a bloody mary fan? Don't worry, I have more Las Vegas hangover cures detailed here.
Prepare for the Madness Live with the Action Network
The Action Network will be hosting a Madness Welcome Party at Mabel's BBQ (located next to the sportsbook at The Palms Resort and Casino) on Wednesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. local time.
If you'll be in Vegas for the NCAA tournament, we encourage to you RSVP for the FREE event and rub elbows with the likes of:
- Darren Rovell: Sports Business Reporter & Senior Executive Producer
- Paul Lo Duca: Former MLB Catcher, four-time All-Star, ESPN+ Host
- Chad Millman: Chief Content Officer, Best-Selling Author, ESPN+ Host
- BlackJack Fletcher: Betting Analyst, ESPN+ Host
Did I mention it's FREE? Click here for more details and to RSVP.
Cash Winning Betting Tickets After Leaving Las Vegas
Many bettors are unaware that you can cash winning bets placed in Las Vegas through the mail.
So if you're betting futures or simply don't have time to cash all those winners before catching an early flight out of Sin City, don't worry.
Here's everything you need to know about getting paid after returning home.
