Las Vegas is known as the place where dreams are made (and broken!). It’s a mecca for both casino gaming and placing big sports bets. Whether you’re visiting Vegas for work or pleasure, it can be tempting to place a wager on your favorite sports team. If that’s you, then this guide will show you everything you need to know before you set off for the city of sin.

Even if you can’t make it down to the strip, there’s still a way you can place your bet. This is through a Nevada online sports betting site. The added perk of doing it this way is the fact these sites have a great range of bonuses, secure payment options and vast markets.

Onto the guide:

Before you go…

The first thing you’re going to want to do is to learn the language of sports betting if you don’t know it. As well as this, you need to know the rules around betting. Las Vegas is famous for having an almost unmatched amount of betting options. You’ve got money lines, settling for an under, taking an over and so much more. You need to be able to navigate your way around all of these exciting options.

Firstly, remember that not all lines are equal. Each casino and venue will have its own, unique sportsbook. This means that the numbers offered for one bet may not be the same at a different venue. Never forget that points matter a lot in Vegas – even half a point can totally change a bet.

Secondly, placing successful bets is part art and part science. It’s never a sure thing and you’d be surprised at what can happen!

Lastly, make sure you’re always having fun. Only play with money you’re willing to lose.

The Different Types of Bets You Can Make

Point Spread

With a point spread, you’re going to be betting on a certain team to either win or lose a game by a certain amount of points. The exact amount of points will be set by whichever sportsbook you use. The bet is called a point spread as it refers to the ‘spread’ of points between the winning and losing team. You’ll find this type of bet mostly placed on basketball and football.

Money Line

With a money line bet, you choose which of the teams you think is going to win the game overall. This is one of the simplest wagers a sportsbook will offer since there’s no spread involved. 

You’re just betting on who you think will win. You’ll find these bets available on almost every type of sport you can think of, but the most popular are football, baseball and hockey.

Parlay bet

A parley bet is any bet that’s made up of a number of other wagers. In order to win your parlay, all of the wagers have to come in. The higher the number of selections you place in your parlay, the bigger your winnings will be if they all come in. Be careful though because this also means your chances of the bet coming in are lower!

Teaser

These types of bets are only found in basketball and football bets. A teaser bet is very similar to a parlay bet in that you’re going to be placing wagers on more than one event to happen. The big difference is that you can actually alter the overs and unders, as well as the point spreads of these types of bets. All of your selections must come in to claim any winnings.

Futures

A futures wager is where you bet on any outcome of a sporting event that is going to happen in the future – hence the name. This is one of the most popular bets for big events, such as the NFL Superbowl. Future bets have fixed odds on the outcomes which may shift as the event gets closer.

Prop bet/Proposition bet

Another popular type of wager is the prop bet. These wagers include placing bets on certain events that may not affect the overall outcome of a certain game. Prop bets are very popular with newcomers and people who aren’t that into the sport as you don’t need an in-depth knowledge of the teams and rules. They’re usually treated as fun little side bets!

Over/Under or Total

With an over/under bet (also known as a total), bettors make a single wager on whether a certain game or sporting event will be ‘over’ or ‘under’ whatever the sportsbook thinks it will be. This is in relation to the total score of the game full-time. A very simple bet that is quite popular.

Odds

Bettors usually make these bets on F1 events, NASCAR events and golf – sports with multiple entrants/teams. With an odds bet, you’ll be selecting who is going to win the tournament or event outright. Each entrant will have different odds of winning. The odds for each entrant can be wildly different so it’s best to look around for the best odds available and do your research on each potential entrant before placing your bet!

What Sports Can You Bet On?

When it comes to the selection of sports that are available for you to place a wager on in Vegas, the options are almost endless! Some of the most common that you’ll find include:

NBA, NFL, Hockey, Baseball, F1 & NASCAR, Fight Sports, Horse racing, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Major college sporting events, Canadian sports and many more. Many big international games are covered as well.

You’re all set!

That’s the basics covered! Now you know the types of bets and the events you can choose, when you’re in Las Vegas simply go into your chosen sportsbook on the strip and place your bet. You’ll get a betting slip you want to keep hold of. If your bet comes in, take your betting slip to the cashier of the sportsbook and enjoy your winnings!