Do Casinos Charge To Sit in the Sports Book?

After seeing the prices to sit in the Circa sports book, do other casinos charge to sit in the sports book?

With the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl coming up, this is a timely question.

We called around for the information, which, we have to admit, isn't particularly easy to come by. At many properties, the direct line to the sports books is restricted. So, for example, at the Wynn, you talk to a concierge. At the Westgate, you reserve through the bar manager. At the Mirage, it's through food and beverage. For Bellagio, you have to reserve via email. Every casino is different and more often than not, our question about reserving seats in the sports book took the operator some looking around for whom to connect us to.

We called the major casinos with the big sports book operations. The smaller ones might have reserved seating, so if you're interested, you can continue the hunt with those; the following information will be a guide.

The two easiest places to book are Circa and Caesars. Both have very good online-reservation systems.

At Circa on a Sunday during the regular football season, to reserve an upper table from 5 to 9 p.m. (6-person max), it's a $500 minimum spend and a $100 deposit. This means that in your four-hour window at the table, you and your party must spend at least $500 on food and beverage, not including tax and tip; if you don't spend that much, you owe the difference. For the same table between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., it's a $1,250 minimum spend on food and beverage and a $250 deposit. For the full day, it's $1,500 and a $300 deposit. Tables in the lower reserved section (6-person max) aren't that much less inexpensive: $500/$100 5-9 p.m., $1,000/$200 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or $1,250/$250 all day. And tables in the Champions Club (3-person max) go for $250/$50, $400/$80, or $500/$100. Book and pay online here.

At Caesars Palace on a football Sunday, you pay a flat fee of $221.08 pp (including tax) to sit in Zones 1, 2, and 3 on the main floor. This includes your own seat throughout the day, plus three free drink tickets for beer, wine, and well liquor. The VIP package is for seats in a less crowded area on the upper level; a seat there costs $363.30 pp and includes an all-you-care to drink wristband for beer, wine, and well liquor, plus access to an expedited line for betting for all games on day of purchase. Here's the link for reservations.

Bellagio will reserve seats on Saturdays for $100 pp and Sundays for $150. You get an equal credit at the sports book snack bar (the waitress keeps track). That's a lot of burgers, hot dogs, and beer per person. We're told that the book has upwards of 50 reserved seats during the COVID restrictions. You make your reservations via email: [email protected]. Mention how many seats you want and the date(s) you're planning on being there.

The Westgate has eight tables and eight booths you can reserve. You do this through the bar manager (ask the operator to connect you). On Saturdays and Sundays, the minimum prices are $400 per table and $800 per booth; on Mondays and Thursdays they can go down to $350 and $700, depending on demand. Prices can go in the other direction during holidays and the playoffs. Like Circa, you're committing to $400 or $800 for food and beverage. You can usually stuff up to eight people at a table or in a booth, but due to COVID, the number is currently limited to 4.

It's similar at the Wynn, where you book through the concierge. They have "a few" luxury boxes on the floor that go for -- are you sitting down? -- a $1,600 minimum f & b spend for 9-5 on Sundays.

At the MGM Grand, the concierge told us that reserved seating in the sports book is for invited guests only.

The Venetian doesn't have reserved seats; it's first-come first-served.

At the Mirage, you have to connect with the food and beverage department, where no one seems to answer the phone. We tried several times and finally left a message, but never got a callback. If you want to take your own stab at it, the number is 702-791-7371.

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Comments

Kevin Rough Jan-04-2021

COVID

Are these prices higher than previous years due to COVID limiting the amount of seating permitted?

Pat Higgins Jan-04-2021

Big tex

I am not much of a sports better.  Usually I do one of 2 the things—bet $11 to win $10 on the college  I attended (I may or may not watch the game) or I simply walk around the sports betting area and look at the screens.  I have done both at Bally’s & Gold Coast from time to time.  Any others where you can go this?  You can usually find me a crapshoots or BJ table.

Luis Jan-04-2021

Never!

I will never pay to sit at a sports book, Tell me why should I pay to lose money?, I think players should be compensated for spending, betting , food and drink at the books, not gauged more just for siting. I realy don't get the reason for them charging to sit there, They are realy making an effort to get rid of the regular Joe, to limit who is "permited" to go to a strip ( and now down town) hotel casino. I know Circa is new, but one thing is posh, glamourous, new, and another is trying to squeze the last penny of your potential client, It's just what's wrong with Vegas in these recent years, to much greed from owners,and in these times it's going back to bite them, and I just hope they come around to realize that every client is important. Bring back the good old times, not just the mob run casinos, but the family friendly, the themed, the cheap buffet, the great service fit fora king for every one who steped into a hotel casino!, brin back Vegas!, not corporate vegas!!

CLIFFORD Jan-04-2021

WHY! WHY! WHY!

WOULD ANYONE COME TO VEGAS ANYMORE?   YOU CAN ACT LIKE THE VILLAGE IDIOT OUT IN THE DESERT- YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN VEGAS...AND ALOT CHEAPER...

Reno Faoro Jan-04-2021

pricing

being an old timer , and after reading about charges at sport books , clue the public in regards to prices at the 'EXCLUSIVE ' clubs , seating , prices per bottle , etc. ty rfaoro .

Dave Jan-04-2021

I get it, kinda....

I understand why the casinos charge for seating. For the same reason they charge for lounge chairs and gazebos at the pool. Because they’re limited. I get it.

But the exorbitant rates, combined with the high minimum F&B charges is ridiculous!

Jan-04-2021

Unbelievable!

I have sat in sports books on and off for 35 years, and I have never paid a penny for a seat. That includes at least one Super Bowl Sunday downtown (not at Golden Nugget, so it was a non-glitzy casino) and one Kentucky Derby Saturday at the Westgate (or whatever it was called back in 1989 when Sunday Silence won). I sat several times in the sports books at the Plaza, Las Vegas Club, Binion's and El Cortez. In the last couple years, I've only sat in the El Cortez, but I know for a fact that they do not charge at all. So it's shocking just to hear that any sport book charges for entry, much less that they're charging such exorbitant fees. And that Kentucky Derby Saturday in 1989 was predicted to be packed, which it was. I got there early and got a good seat, and some guy offered me $50 for it, which I accepted. We even agreed that I would sit in the seat while he went up and made bets, so that no interloper could slide into it. I think getting $50 is better than paying $100's.

David Miller Jan-04-2021

The Gouging Escalates

 Just ANOTHER bean counter gouge as they try to justify their job. One must be a moron to pay to sit in a sports book. Just goes to show how ignorant some people really are.

Boomer 55 Jan-05-2021

March Mask Madness??

Should we expect the prime time FB sports book seat rates to be in effect for the whole day when March Mask Madness rolls around?  Or is the expected demand different from NFL prime time demand?
Just curious. Used to be my fav time to be in Vegas in the 80's and 90's.  Never paid for seats.  Liked a bit of bar VP during breaks. Tried visiting again in 2009 or 10 during 2nd March Madness weekend and found the experience negative on the whole both downtown and on strip.  Seats were hard to find, VP schedules prohibitive, crowd young and rude.  Neighborhood casinos were the way to go.  BTW: Visited Circa on Grand Opening Oct 28 and loved the set up, but as expected the bar VP schedules stunk and tourist gouges prevailed.  Was happy to see Vegas Vicky all spruced up.  Kudos to Daktronics, American and premier scoreboard and screens comanpany in the world, for their typical outstanding work.  Glad Mr Stevens hired the best.

Deke Castleman Jan-05-2021

This is via email from Jeff

There are scores of sports books in Las Vegas that are free seating. With great deals and promotions, they are a better value today than ever. 

The news book at Circa and premium property joints like Caesars are super expensive to build and maintain. They have high overhead and I see no problem with them making all the money they can...because I can go so many other places in the Las Vegas valley and watch a game for free, and get cheap hot dogs and beer. 

Let's be honest, these places ae built for the Beautiful People. Old, bargain hunters like myself aren't who they want. And that is just fine in my book. The free market will tell the world how successful they are. And so far they have done just fine for themselves.

Question of the Day - 04 January 2021

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