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Guide to Vegas Sportsbooks Comps

Sportsbook Comps in Vegas: Where You Get Them and What You Get

comp ticket from the caesars sportsbookThe cool thing about gambling in Vegas – win or lose – is there are perks. For example, if you play enough blackjack, you’re bound to get a free buffet or a nice steak dinner even if you walk away from the table in the hole. Comps at Vegas casinos are a big deal. They keep customers coming back. Everyone likes receiving perks. The same can be said about sports betting. Almost every sportsbook offers some sort of comps for their players.

Unfortunately, the sportsbook comps are not as appealing as slot and table games players receive. But at least it’s something. Most sportsbooks don’t offer players free drinks unless you’ve wagered a certain amount of money. Whereas, simply playing a slot machine makes you eligible for free drinks. With that said, there are some comps available to those of us betting on ballgames and horses. Here is a look at the comps you receive at a few of the top Las Vegas sportsbooks…

Caesars Palace (Strip) – Caesars has a phenomenal sportsbook but players kind of get the short end of the stick on comps. They give you just $1 in comps for every $500 bet. They do give you some Tier credits on your Total Rewards player card (can be used to receive comps at any Caesars property such as Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Rio, Bally’s, etc.).  I always get a few FREE drink ticket coupons (which are used for comped drinks in the sportsbook area) with every $100 bet

Station Casinos (Off-Strip) – This includes Boulder Station, Sunset Station, Palace Station, Texas Station, and Santa Fe Station. Comps at Station Casinos sportsbooks give players 1 point on their “Boarding Pass” card for every dollar wagered. As you accumulate points, you can use that money towards free drinks, food, and rooms. You will earn tier points faster at Station Casinos sportsbooks than most other places. Of course, the restaurants you will use your comps at aren’t as enticing at Station Casinos as they are at, say, the Bellagio.

Las Vegas Hotel (LVH, formerly Las Vegas Hilton…Off-Strip) – LVH has one of the most popular and largest sportsbooks in the world. And compared to other sportsbooks, they give reasonable comps. As long as you have a betting ticket to a game that is going on, you can get a free drink. You’re not required to bet $100+ to get one free drink like other sportsbooks. It’s a great place to watch a game, but be prepared for a loud, crowded sportsbook.

Free Drinks in the Sportsbook?

If your idea is to bet $10 on a football games and then watch the game and get free drinks, think again..  Sportsbooks use a Free Drink ticket system.  So you can’t just flag a cocktail waitress over and get a free drink, without a ticket.  The amount of drink tickets you get, really depends on the person taking your bets.  Sometimes I get 2 tickets on a $50 and other times I have gotten 1 drink ticket on a $100 bet.  I believe the Aria is 1 drink ticket per $150 straight bet and each $50 parlays/multi-bet ticket gets 1 drink ticket.

If you happen to know the minimum required bet per drink ticket for a certain casino, please post it in the comments and we can get a running list going…

Don’t Chase Comps – Chase the Best Lines

I’m not even going to mention comps at the other top Las Vegas sportsbooks. They’re so minimal it’s not even worth playing at one of those sportsbooks for the sole purpose of receiving comps while betting on games. Plain and simple, you should expect to have to wager between $100-$200 at most Vegas sportsbooks just to receive a free drink.

Don’t choose sportsbooks based on comps. The comps are so minimal. Place your bets at the sportsbook with the best lines. If you’re getting –7 on the Bears at Aria and –7.5 at LVH, don’t place your wager at LVH just because their comps are better. That half a point is more important than the free drink you will receive…if you bet enough.

Why Sports Bettors Get the Shaft With Comps

Every major casino in Las Vegas has a sportsbook. Therefore, many people do bet on sports. So you’re probably thinking the “house” would want to take care of its sports bettors. However, sports betting only accumulates for around 1% of a casino’s revenue. Even at LVH, where the sportsbook is their staple, sports betting isn’t what brings in the money.

There is a lot of competition in Las Vegas and they are all fighting for you business and your money. Casinos go to great lengths to keep you in their casino instead of the one next door. And, yes, there is a ton of competition among sportsbooks. But to a casino owner, losing a sports betting customer to another casino isn’t a big loss. Basically, we are considered second-rate customers. It’s unfortunate but that’s the way it is.

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2 Comments

  1. Planet Hollywood is $50 in bets for a ticket.
    I think $50 is standard at the avg casinos and $100/$150 at the “nicer” casinos

  2. I was at Aria last football season and it was a $200 min bet for 1 drink ticket!
    The most important thing is tipping goes a long way at most places..

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