It's long been said that the next-best place for NFL fans who can't be at the Super Bowl is to be in Las Vegas. But what happens when the game is actually played in Vegas? That'll be happening for the first time on Feb. 11.
"It's gonna be a huge difference compared to previous Super Bowls," said Jay Kornegay, vice president of race and sports operations at the Westgate. "Being the host city, we have more events happening the entire Super Bowl weekend than we've had in previous years. We anticipate this to be the biggest Super Bowl ever."
The playoffs begin next weekend to determine the participants for Super Bowl LVIII at the 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium just west of the Strip. Those looking to score game tickets will be scouring the secondary ticket market for the next month.
Those looking for game and room packages can go to NFL partner On Location to shop for deals. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority-sponsored Visit Las Vegas site also has a wealth of information.
Associated festivities include the Super Bowl Experience, an interactive football theme park, Feb. 7 to 10 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
Kornegay's 30,000-square-foot SuperBook, with more than 350 seats and a 220-foot-by-18-foot, 4K video wall, is among the top choices for fans who want to bet on the game. Seating blends free first-come, first-served spots and reserved spaces, from individual chairs for $200 to a VIP booth for $4,000 for 10 people with food and beverages. Go to the book's website or email SuperBookBooth@wgresorts.com for more information.
The free Football Central (with pay-as-you-go food and drinks) in the International Theater is another Westgate option.
More prime spots
Among the many other sports books on the Strip are the classic Caesars Palace (NFL headquarters for Super Bowl LVIII), the relatively intimate room at Bellagio and the elegant space at Wynn.
Just one example of less-obvious places to watch the game is La Cave Wine and Food Hideaway at Wynn, which will offer an all-you-can-eat package ($195 per person, with bottomless bar options for an additional $115 per person). Every seat in the lounge, dining room and indoor/outdoor garden room and terrace will have a view of the game.
The newest venue on the Strip to watch big games is the 12,000-square-foot Yahoo Sportsbook powered by William Hill at the Venetian. Open since the beginning of the NFL season, it features a 46-million-pixel, 1,770-square-foot LED video wall.
Luxor and Mandalay Bay, literally across Interstate 15 from the game, are sure to be buzzing with media and football personalities all week. The 30,000-square-foot HyperX Arena at Luxor, with its LED video wall and dozens of other TV displays, will host a watch party (starting at $165) with an open bar from 3:30 p.m. until the end of the third quarter. Tickets can be purchased in advance at EventBrite, but walk-in seating will be available.
The Westgate’s SuperBook, with more than 350 seats and a 220-foot-by-18-foot video wall, is among the prime viewing spots for Super Bowl LVIII. Photo Credit: Westgate Las Vegas
Other renowned venues to watch the game are Circa Resort & Casino's sports book and Stadium Swim. The book's 78-million-pixel, high-definition screen has four packages, and the pool party at Stadium Swim has even more packages for larger groups.
Admission is free to the outdoor Downtown Las Vegas Events Center's "Big Game Bash," but tables (seating 4 to 14 people) and man caves (15 to 30 people) can be reserved with a beverage minimum. Man caves feature a 70-inch TV, leather couches and access to beer pong tables.
Off-Strip possibilities
In addition to its The Still Crafts, Drafts & Eats (reserve seating with a minimum food and beverage purchase of $300 per person) at the Mirage, two other Clique Hospitality restaurants will host viewing parties: Tailgate Social Sports Bar & Grillhttps://tailgatesociallv.com at Palace Station Hotel & Casino ($175) and
Borracha Mexican Cantinahttps://borrachavegas.com ($125) at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson.
Other great locations not far from the stadium are The George Sportsman's Lounge at the new Durango Casino & Resort and South Point.
A spot for fans of all ages to catch the game will be Illuminarium Las Vegas, which will use 360-degree screens, surround sound and projection mapping to enhance the experience. Tickets for general admission are $75 now, $100 day of game. An all-you-can-eat buffet of tailgate favorites will be available for purchase for $29 per person.
Super expectations
Nevada sportsbooks took in $153.2 million in wagers (what's called the handle) for last year's Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, the fourth highest of all time but well short of the $179.8 million bet in the 2022 game between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.
Kornegay said there may be some fatigue among bettors about the Chiefs, who have appeared in three of the last four Super Bowls. A matchup between teams that haven't been to the biggest stage in a while, like the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys, would create even more electricity surrounding the game, he said.
Illuminarium Las Vegas is hosting a Super Bowl viewing party for fans of all ages. Photo Credit: Illuminarium
"Their fan bases are extremely national, and they're both hungry. With those two teams, you would certainly look at another record for Super Bowl handle," he said. But with the extra number of VIPs coming to town and the larger wagers that come with them, he expects betting on this year's game to achieve a new record regardless of who plays.
Kornegay, a veteran Las Vegas bookmaker, is famous for developing proposition bets (wagers not tied to the final score or outcome of a game). Expect the SuperBook at Westgate to post more than 500 proposition bets by Feb. 1.
He said he was very skeptical that the NFL would ever allow Las Vegas to have a team or host a Super Bowl because of the league's long-held stance against sports gambling. That changed in 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal ban on sports gambling, allowing states other than Nevada to provide bookmaking and betting at casinos and racetracks.
"It was not that long ago where Las Vegas couldn't even advertise during the Super Bowl," Kornegay said. "We were the bad boys for the longest time, but now we're all family. And we couldn't be happier!"
UPDATED: This report was updated on Monday, Jan. 22 to remove a reference to highlights of the Big Game Party at the Westgate. The Westgate Las Vegas team said those details are part of a private event put on by a third party that rents space in the Westgate.