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#5: The Local Sports Bar

We didn’t give the Hard Rock very good grades on Odds or Displays so how did this sports book end up beating out places like the Stardust or the Palms for our Top 5 list?

The X factor

The Hard Rock sports book is completely glass enclosed and has a very cool sports bar feel.  It’s as if you just happen to be watching a game at the local bar with some friends and, hey, there’s a guy taking bets up front. It’s also a very young crowd so there’s no crotchety old guy in the corner with a cigar yelling, “Give me $50 on Slew Anew in the 8th… I said SLEW ANEW!” And look, this is the Hard Rock — if you get bored watching a 0-0 game, you can just turn around and watch the other talented folks in the casino.

Ratings (out of 5)

Odds: 2

Decor: 4

Food/Drink: 3

Displays: 3

X Factor: 5

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#4: The Underrated All-Star

There’s so much to like about the Mandalay Bay sports book. Lots of displays. Lots of seats. Lots of wagers. Friendly staff. Good food.  But this is Vegas and there’s something to be said about flash and the Mandalay isn’t very flashy. That’s not to say it’s not one of the nicest sports books in Vegas.  After all, it did make the #4 spot on our list.  But the Mandalay Bay is like the Tom Izzo of Vegas sports books — always acknowledged as a top dog but never given the praise it deserves.  If you walk over to the Luxor (aka The Worst Sports Book in Las Vegas) next door, you’ll see the difference is night and day.

Ratings (out of 5)

Odds: 4

Decor: 4

Food/Drink: 4

Displays: 4

X Factor: 3

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#3 Willie Mays Hayes
You’ll get the same odds at the MGM Grand as you will at Mandalay Bay (both are owned by MGM-Mirage) but the MGM Grand has got the flash that’s missing from the Mandalay.  MGM Grand is the first to offer luxury skyboxes for the high rollers. Most of us won’t be able to get into those boxes, but it’s good to know they’re there. There isn’t one large screen but three 16×12 foot screens and plenty of wagers on the big board. The reverse-amphitheater like seating has comfortable leather seats and cocktail service with the race book and sports book in separate areas.  The whole place is comfortable and airy and definitely one of our favorites.

Ratings (out of 5)

Odds: 4
Decor: 4
Food/Drink: 4
Displays: 5
X Factor: 4

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The Wynn is by far the nicest sports book in Las Vegas. If I had to die in a sports book while rooting for my team, this would be the place. Like everything else about the Wynn, the sports book is all about luxury and amenities. It’s like an exclusive club that, somehow, you can get into. The place is large and airy with the best displays of all the casinos. Each of the private booths had flat screen monitors and a comfortable leather chair. Cocktail service is available and you can order food from the adjacent restaurant and they’ll bring it to you. You want to talk X factor? The Wynn has the most attractive waitresses we saw all day. Yes, these things are important to us.

So why isn’t the Wynn the #1 sports book on our list? The odds are mediocre. Of all the sports books we visited, the Wynn was ranked near the bottom in terms of futures book.  For example, the Wynn had the Twins winning the World Series at 8-1 when most other places had at least 12-1 odds on that bet.  If you’re putting down $100, that extra few hundred is a big difference.   Still, with the luxuriousness of the Wynn, it’s almost easy to overlook the difference in payout.

Ratings (out of 5)

Odds: 2.5
Decor: 5
Food/Drink: 4
Displays: 5
X Factor: 5

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·    Top Five Las Vegas Casino Sports Books

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#1: The Veteran wins again

There’s a rule that has served us well over the years: conventional wisdom is often wrong.

Not so here. When we asked people what the best sports book in Vegas was, the answer was invariably Caesars. We thought perhaps the Wynn would give Caesars a run for its money but when we tallied up the ratings, of course, Caesars came out on top. It’s not that Caesars has the best odds or the nicest decor – it doesn’t. It’s just that there’s so much going on here. Want to bet on who wins the passing yards title? Check. Combined TD passes from Peyton and Eli Manning? Check. Will Derrek Lee win the triple crown? Check. Jessica Alba gets naked in her next movie? No line!

Well, I guess you can’t bet everything. But it sure does feel like it. And the energy in the sports book was great even in the middle of summer with nothing on but baseball. Can you imagine this place during March Madness? This is the mecca of all sports books and we don’t expect it to change for some time.

Ratings (out of 5)

Odds: 4
Decor: 5
Food/Drink: 4
Displays: 5
X Factor: 5

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Here’s something we don’t understand. Why would anyone place a bet at the Luxor Las Vegas sports book?  I think they’ve taken this Egyptian pyramid theme too far as it feels like you’re actually entombed and the technology is from 3000 BC. They still have to write their lines with dry erase marker on a whiteboard. There’s better technology at the local bookie in your hometown.
The one saving grace could be that they have the best odds in Vegas — but they don’t. 18-1 for the Raiders to win the Super Bowl?

Either the guy setting the lines is a personal friend of Al Davis or he is a huge Randy Moss fan.

Another week of MLB action has gone by (or, if you’re a Royals fan, perhaps inaction is a better term). Here are the latest power rankings, and of course questions and comments are welcome.