Still aglow from hosting its first Super Bowl, Las Vegas is gearing up for another prodigious sports-betting event and perennial tourist magnet: the opening rounds of the NCAA Division I basketball tournament, better known as March Madness, March 21 to 24.
Their massive TV screens blazing with the action, the largest sports books charge reservation fees for the best seats. Some venues require minimum food-and-beverage spends, and dozens of other free and ticketed viewing parties are scheduled throughout the Strip and downtown. Even suburban casinos are bouncing for the first- and second-round games of the tournament.
The Durango Casino & Resort will be among the new options for those viewing March Madness in Las Vegas. Photo Credit: Clint Jenkins
"If you're a college basketball fan, it's really the mecca for viewing," said Jim Trudeau, who in 2012 co-founded the Facebook group "March Madness in Las Vegas," now with almost 18,000 members. "It's somehow more exciting than being at the games themselves because you're not just on one game, you're on four games simultaneously. It's just a super-fun experience. And you get to share it with so many others that are like you."
Trudeau, who visited Las Vegas for the first time in 1984, remembers watching 12th-seeded Richmond upset Charles Barkley's fifth-seeded Auburn University team in the first round when the city was much smaller and choices more limited. Many other memories have ensued for Trudeau, a Florida-based contract attorney who has missed coming to Las Vegas for March Madness only once (when Covid-19 intervened) since 1997.
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The primary appeal is the fun atmosphere, unrivaled anywhere in the country because of the proximity of the betting windows and other amenities, Trudeau said.
"Everyone there is sharing every basket. Even when a game is a blowout, people are going crazy for every basket in a 25-point game because the (betting) line (margin of victory) is 23 points or so. You're not going to find a party in your hometown where you have a 14-hour open bar and buffet. And then when it's done, you're in Las Vegas. There are a million other things you can do."
The Facebook group, a clearinghouse for up-to-date information about venues, runs a traditional welcome party, dubbed Madness Eve, on Wednesday (March 20) at the Strat Hotel, Casino & SkyPad. That event, in conjunction with William Hill sports book, is sold out. But there are so many ways to enjoy March Madness.
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Circa has quickly joined Westgate, Caesars Palace, Wynn, the Venetian, the Bellagio and Mandalay Bay as prime spots to watch games.
Stadium Swim at Circa, Azilo at the Sahara and the Palms are among the great outdoor places to watch games, Trudeau said.
The chief consideration about where to go is whether fans intend to consume alcohol.
"A lot of these parties incorporate alcohol into them," Trudeau said. "So if you're not a drinker, you probably don't want to pay an open-bar price. You're probably more happy at a minimum-spend place where you can order food to cut your minimum spend down, or there's free parties at places like South Point and TI (Treasure Island), where they just opened their ballrooms up and it's first-come, first-served."
Less-heralded venues include the rooftop BrewDog overlooking the Strip, Ellis Island's Front Yard Beer Garden and Top Golf. Cabo Wabo, Blondies in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, the Still Crafts, Drafts and Eats at the Mirage, American at the Linq Promenade and Hennessey's Tavern downtown are among other places that traditionally attract March Madness crowds.
What's new
Las Vegas is always adding to the mix of choices for hoops fans. Off-Strip, The George Sportsman's Lounge at the Durango Casino & Resort, which opened in December, has a patio with three big screens that promises to be a festive spot to check out this year.
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For the first three days of the tournament, Fontainebleau's BleauLive Theater will host the Bleau Buckets viewing experience (starting at $150 plus tax and fees on March 21 and 22 and $100 on March 23) with an open bar, food and a variety of seating options.
The Fontainebleau’s BleauLive Theater, seen here in a rendering, will host Bleau Buckets. Photo Credit: Fontainebleau Las Vegas
"At Fontainebleau Las Vegas, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of luxury entertainment and experiences, and our inaugural 'Bleau Buckets' college basketball viewing party is no exception," said Fedor Banuchi, the resort's senior vice president of entertainment. "BleauLive Theater will be transformed into the ultimate sports-viewing experience. We look forward to three game-packed days of excitement this college basketball tournament season."
Bleau Buckets tickets are available online. Reserve seats by emailing [email protected]. Room packages are also available.