Betting Online vs. Vegas Sports Betting – A Guide

Once upon a time, the only place you could strike a sports bet was in the state of Nevada, most likely within a sportsbook or casino in Las Vegas.

The game has changed a lot over the past decade or so, with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the previous PASPA legislation meaning that each state can now decide individually whether it wants to legalize sports betting or not.

Many have taken the decision to do so, meaning that you may have options closer to home than having to take that flight to Nevada.

Even so, there’s still a good time to be had placing sports bets in Las Vegas, and as we’ll cover here, you can still find great odds and a huge variety of betting markets in Sin City.

So, what are the key differences between betting online and wagering in Vegas, and what are the pros and cons of both?

What Can You Bet on in Vegas?

As the spiritual home of wagering in America, it won’t surprise you to learn that online sports betting, Las Vegas style, delivers a whole host of opportunities.

By even a modest count, there are around 70 sportsbooks in Las Vegas — many of them within easy walking distance of one another.

What advantage does that bring? Well, it’s easy to see the full list of sports and markets that are available on the huge video screens in these properties. What’s more, it’s not all that difficult to compare odds from one Vegas sportsbook to another, which is perfect for ensuring you’re maximizing the potential return on your wagers.

Of course, not all Vegas sportsbooks are built the same. Independent operators, who have been in the city for decades, may have a rather more modest setup compared to the big-name firms, with odds displayed on old-fashioned TVs and bets placed at the cage. But don’t be too hasty to write these books off — to compete with the household names, they may offer juicy odds or bonuses to attract the interest of bettors.

The list of what you can bet on in Vegas is almost limitless, but some major markets include:

• Football (NFL, CFL, NCAA)

• Basketball (NBA, March Madness)

• Baseball

• Hockey

• Soccer

• Tennis

• Golf

• Boxing

• MMA

• Motor Racing

The great thing about betting with a Vegas sportsbook is that you can also ask for a price if you don’t see your selection listed on the odds sheets and screens; sometimes, the cashier will be able to contact a head office colleague and get it for you.

How to Place a Sports Bet in Vegas

Learning how to place a sports bet in Vegas is easy: All you need is one of the sportsbook’s paper bet slips and something to write with. Alternatively, you can head straight to the cashier, who may enter your bet into the system without the need for a ticket.

What you will need to know is what sport and event you wish to bet on, as well as the market and your chosen selection. To make life easier, make a note of the rotation number that corresponds with the wager you wish to place. You’ll see this listed on the odds sheets or on the big screens.

Confirm the rotation number and the bet you wish to place, and then listen attentively as the cashier reads it back to you — you don’t want any breakdowns in communication here. You should also receive a printed ticket as a receipt. Again, read this back to ensure the bet you have struck is exactly as you want it to be.

All that’s left to do then is keep your ticket somewhere safe, watch the action unfold, and hope that you’re a winner.

It’s also worth remembering that you can bet online as long as you’re inside Nevada's state boundaries. The process of how to place a bet in Vegas online is the same as anywhere else: Log in to your live and funded account, and navigate to the markets you want to wager on.

What Can You Bet on Online?

One of the main advantages of betting online is that you’ll have a huge suite of lines and markets to wager on.

Sportsbooks have a lot more space on their websites and apps, and you’ll notice that on the Vegas screens and odds sheets, for example, they tend to focus on the most popular sports and bet types.

But online, all doors are open for deeper market coverage and opportunities to bet on niche sports. As a rough guide, online sportsbooks can offer:

• Darts

• Cycling

• Cricket

• Rugby

• Snooker

• Volleyball

• Table Tennis

All it takes is a few taps of your screen to locate a full A-Z of sports available on your chosen betting app or website.

How to Place a Sports Bet Online

To place a sports bet online, you'll need to register for an account. Don’t worry, this process is perfectly secure and only takes a few moments.

Once your account has been verified and approved, you can make your first deposit, and credit/debit cards, e-wallets like PayPal, and mobile options like Apple Pay are just some of the payment methods you can use.

Now that your account is live and funded, it’s easy to place an online sports bet:

• Log in to your sportsbook account

• Navigate to your chosen sport

• Find the event

• Cycle through to the specific market you wish to wager on

• Click the odds to add the pick to your online bet slip

• Enter your stake

• Double check everything and then click to confirm your wager

You'll receive an online receipt for your bet, which will appear in the open or unsettled area in your account.

Betting Online vs. Las Vegas: The Pros and Cons

So, which is better? Betting online or in Las Vegas? Perhaps the more appropriate question is: What's right for you? Betting online or in Las Vegas?

There are pros and cons for each, which we've outlined here.

Pros of Betting in Las Vegas

One of the joys of wagering in Las Vegas is the entire experience. The buzz of the sportsbook floor is impossible to replicate when betting online at home.

Many of Vegas’s finest sportsbook properties have invested in big screen TVs too, so you can watch the action play out alongside your fellow bettors — the perfect atmosphere in which to cheer your picks home.

There are no technical hitches to hold you back either; it doesn’t matter if the internet goes down or your phone runs out of battery when betting in Vegas. You won’t need to sign up for an online account or wait around for your winnings to be paid, either. Everything is instant when wagering in Vegas.

If you’re a sociable kind of person, you may find that heading to Nevada becomes your favorite way to strike a sports bet or two.

Cons of Betting in Las Vegas

There are a few administrative items of consideration that may also have an impact on your betting in Las Vegas.

The first is that your ticket, which you receive after placing your wager, is the only documentary evidence of your bet. If you lose it, or it gets wet and the ink runs, there’s a strong chance you won’t be able to claim any winnings unless the cashier can track your bet down in the system.

Similarly, if you place a futures bet with a Vegas sportsbook that wins, but you live out of state, you'll need to return to Nevada in order to collect your winnings, or arrange for them to be sent in the mail. Online bets, on the other hand, are settled instantly.

There are other inconveniences like having to stand in line before placing a bet, which can be a particular problem if the wager is time sensitive. And the array of betting options is, as we’ve already learned, greater and more diverse online than they will be in the standard Vegas sportsbook.

Pros of Online Betting

The convenience of being able to bet when you want and how you want, wherever you are, can't be understated.

You may be at the shopping mall when you hear that a star quarterback has gotten injured in training. You can take out your phone, log in to the betting app, place a wager on the opposing team’s spread, and then carry on picking up your groceries — all within seconds.

If you prefer betting on niche sports, or taking a deeper dive into more low-key markets like quarter/half betting, these are readily available at the touch of a button on your screen. In Vegas, you’ll have to ask a cashier to find out if the prices are available or not.

There are no delays to collecting your winnings online, nor is there a desperate search for that lost betting ticket either. Everything is electronically documented, allowing for greater peace of mind.

One of the other advantages of betting online is that you’ll likely get access to a range of bonuses and promotions to enhance your wagering. It could be a welcome bonus when you sign up for a new customer account, free bets, or an invitation into a loyalty program, all of which can help to boost your bankroll.

All of the above, plus the ability to compare odds between sportsbooks within seconds, is why online betting is the choice of many.

Cons of Online Betting

The main drawback of online betting is that you'll be beholden to technology; internet outages, flat batteries, payment issues — none of these are a concern when you wager in person.

There can be frustrating delays when registering for an account, as online sportsbooks have to do identity checks and confirm your documents, so if you want to wager quickly - perhaps if there’s a game you want to bet on that afternoon - you might be out of luck.

Withdrawing winnings is unlikely to be instantaneous either. You might have to wait between anywhere from a few hours to an entire week before you can get your hands on your cash, which can be a turn off.