Get Ready for March Madness In Las Vegas

^{You can’t miss March Madness pretty much no matter where you are in town. (Image: VegasRightNow)}

The first weekend of March Madness is typically one of the busiest times for sports fans and bettors in Las Vegas. The Super Bowl is the other major annual event that draws sports fans to the city. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is also vying for attention, but it’s still a relatively new event by comparison.

Much like “The Big Game,” watching the games during the first weekend of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas is a unique experience. Walking into a sportsbook and grabbing a seat to watch the games isn’t possible at all Las Vegas casinos. In fact, it’s nearly impossible at most sportsbooks on the Las Vegas Strip.

There are many ways to watch the games, thanks to both visionaries creating fun experiences and bean counters looking to make a few extra bucks.

Las Vegas is a big-event city. Casino and venue operators see popular events through green-tinted glasses, as they can be major moneymakers.

There’s a fee or increased pricing for almost anything surrounding popular events like the first weekend of March Madness. This primarily impacts the first three days of the first round, from March 20-22. The fourth day of the weekend is typically a getaway day for visitors, and crowds shrink as the tournament continues.

Similar to Super Bowl weekend, visitors can expect higher hotel room rates, reservation fees at many popular sportsbooks, and charges for watch parties. While room rates are higher across the board, the cost to watch the games ranges from free to hundreds of dollars per day.

Pay Higher Hotel Fees or Wait? 

Las Vegas hotel room prices fluctuate based on demand. When there are large events, demand for rooms increases—and so do prices.

Heading into the first weekend of March Madness, room rates are higher than usual. Caesars Entertainment, one of the two largest casino operators on the Las Vegas Strip, is a good reference for moderately priced hotel rooms. 

Here’s a comparison of rates at Harrah’s, which has rooms in the days prior to March Madness available for as low as $25. Included are room rates for the first and second weekends of March Madness before any rewards discounts and fees, and you can see how prices changed as the opening tip offs approached. 

The room rates at Harrah’s between the two weekends range from $40 to $75.

Room rates often drop a few days before an event. Many Las Vegas hotels have a four-day cancellation policy. Rewards members may receive discounts or complimentary rooms based on their history with the company.

This is the case for March Madness, Memorial Day, and other major events or holiday weekends. This strategy can be useful for bargain hunters who don’t mind the risk of paying peak prices for a last-minute room if there aren’t many cancellations. Prices at Caesars Entertainment properties in Las Vegas dipped below normal just days before Super Bowl weekend.

Sportsbook Reservation Fees and Policies

Getting a seat in a Las Vegas sportsbook during the first weekend of March Madness hasn’t been easy for decades. Legend has it that some bettors and fans once paid people to sit in a sportsbook chair overnight to secure a spot for the morning games, which tip off early.

Paying someone to hold a seat doesn’t seem to happen much anymore in Las Vegas. That’s probably a good thing, but I digress.

There are still some Las Vegas sportsbooks where visitors can stop in and find a free and open seat during the first weekend of March Madness. These casinos may not be on the Strip, but complimentary general admission seating is available.

Generally, sportsbooks near the Strip will have at least some general admission seating. The Orleans, Westgate, and Palace Station are a few examples of casinos just off the Vegas Strip with open seating. Sportsbooks farther away, such as Red Rock Casino and Green Valley Ranch, also offer complimentary seating.

Visitors who prefer to watch on the Vegas Strip will likely have to pay a reservation fee for a seat. Prices for seats inside the Caesars Palace sportsbook start at $600 for just the early session of the first day of the tournament. Seats just outside of the main space are $175 per day.

Availability and reservation policies vary among Las Vegas Strip sportsbooks. Prices for the same session at Aria start at $100 for a lounge seat and increase for tabletops seating four guests.

Las Vegas Strip sportsbooks aren’t the only venues offering reserved seating. All seats at the Circa sportsbook require a reservation, while the Westgate SuperBook offers reserved seats in addition to general admission space.

Watch Parties

March Madness watch parties come in all shapes and sizes from huge free pay-as-you-go parties at the South Point Ballroom to Hops and Hoops at the Cosmopolitan where guests can shoot around a court and drink all day while watching the games.

Circa even has a free March Madness party in addition to its numerous paid options.

Each of the casinos above also has a variety of watch parties from restaurants to theaters. One of the most fun watch parties annually is Hoops Central at the International Theater inside the Westgate. Tickets start at $45 per day and the people watching are diehard college basketball fans and bettors.

There’s so much demand for March Madness viewing that The Venetian cracks open the former Lagasse's Stadium sportsbook at The Palazzo for the games. Tickets start at $200 per day and include booze.

There are numerous watch parties available at casinos throughout Las Vegas and availability changes often. Information on what’s available changes often.

Since watch party availability is fluid, I check the March Madness in Las Vegas Facebook group whenever I’m looking for information. It’s easily the best resource and many in the community have been visiting Las Vegas for years for the tournament and are very willing to share their experience. 

Place Your Bets Early … Or Late

Sportsbooks on and around the Vegas Strip attract mostly tourists who don’t have funded betting apps. This leads to very long lines in the morning - even with the addition of kiosks. 

Anyone looking to place wagers on the game should either fund an app beforehand or place in-person wagers before tipoff. Another option is to hold wagers until later in the day when the crowds settle down. The wait might be long but it won’t be as bad as just before the games start.

Using a mobile sports betting app is recommended but remember that new accounts must be set up in person at a full-service sportsbook inside of a casino. Once the account is open it can be funded through a mobile device.