Ahead of the record Super Bowl, Las Vegas bookstores are gearing up for their next big sports betting event on the calendar, where March Madness ends next week.
Last year, nearly 200 sportsbooks in Nevada hit an all-time high of $375.5 million in bets for NCAA and NBA games, and nearly 70 percent of those tickets were sold in college hoops. The previous record, set in 2014, was $343.5 million. The total basketball handling of sportsbooks in March is also increasing from $19.4 million in 2014 to $27.9 million last year.
Combine that with the expected 98% share of Las Vegas Streep Hotel during the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament next week (March 17-20), and the fact that the first day of the first round happens to be on St. Patrick’s Day this year, and why many observers expect another historic-scale action.
“March Madness is an absolute monster for us,” said Jason Simbal, vice president of risk management at CG Technology, which has Las Vegas sportsbook partners The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, The Farms Casino Resort, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. “It’s just crazy and it’s getting bigger every year, especially that first round.” 에볼루션 바카라사이트
The problem for college basketball fans, who will fill the city next week, is finding vacancies in sports books. Lines usually begin to form in the early morning hours, and many places have already closed out spots for top customers.
“This year, we’ve been getting calls about the frenzy of December and March. This is a lot more proactive than what we’re getting about the Super Bowl,” Simbal said, adding that customers typically need to already have a certain amount of active accounts to book. “Everything has exploded, especially in the last four or five years.”
To help deal with many sports gamblers looking for a place to store for games, many Las Vegas properties are hosting March Madness Viewing Parties that turn ballrooms and other venues into makeshift sportsbooks complete with seating, betting windows, and special editions of food and beverages. While some can attend for free, some can range from $25 to as much as $1,500 a day if they want VIP seating and treatment.
Below is a sample of several places where you and your group can set up camp next week and tick next to the “March Madness in Vegas” box on your bucket list.
