Seven Las Vegas Sportsbooks In Need Of An Update

^{The Bellagio sportsbook is beautiful and comfortable, but the video screens might be old enough to gamble. (Photo: Marc Meltzer /  Casinos.com)}

The biggest and best sportsbooks in America are still in Las Vegas, despite more than half the country offering legal sports betting. Great sportsbooks are all over Sin City, from Circa downtown to Westgate just off the Las Vegas Strip to Durango in the southwest part of town.

What separates Las Vegas sportsbooks from the rest of the country is that they’re not all repurposed bars and restaurants. These are often large spaces with massive TVs dedicated to showing the games guests are wagering on.

However, sportsbooks are sometimes a low priority for casino operators, considering sports betting generates only a small sliver of direct gambling revenue. In 2024, sports betting accounted for just 3.3% of gaming revenue on the Strip and less than 1% of overall casino revenue. 2025 data hasn't been released, but the figure has historically been similar.

Sportsbooks are usually refreshed before or after busy events, such as the start of the football season and March Madness. Once the NBA season ends, sportsbooks enter a relatively quiet period, even with events like the World Cup.

That makes summer prime time for sportsbook and betting app updates. Refreshing a sportsbook doesn’t have to be a major project, either. The recent Caesars upgrade at The Resort at Summerlin (formerly Rampart Casino) was as simple as moving furniture, upgrading seating, and fixing a video wall.

Here are seven popular sportsbooks that could use a refresh. 

Aria

The Aria sportsbook almost feels like a forgotten space because it’s hidden from the casino floor. When Aria opened in 2009, the living room-style sportsbook was unique.

Others have taken inspiration from the design and improved on it, but Aria hasn’t changed much.

The video wall is jagged, with odd TV angles that appear to date back to the 2009 opening. There’s also a horse betting section that’s often used by guests trying to watch sports on the other side of the sportsbook.

The space is so awkward that it might require a full teardown and rebuild. 

Bellagio

The Bellagio sportsbook is a beautiful and comfortable space. Similar to Aria, the video screens look like they haven’t been upgraded since its 1998 opening. 

Those outdated screens may be why the sportsbook bar is always packed while the large leather chairs and couches sit empty. The bar staff has consistently been top-notch, and the TVs there are crisp.

It’s surprising that a casino known for regular updates has skipped the sportsbook for so long. A new video wall would make this space much more attractive.

Gold Coast and Orleans

Boyd Gaming owns and operates both properties, which share a similar sportsbook layout.

They’re traditional sportsbooks with equal space dedicated to horse bettors as sports bettors. The design suits older, local guests who enjoy spending the day betting on the ponies.

There’s nothing wrong with either sportsbook, as customers seem happy. However, Boyd did such a great job building the Suncoast sportsbook from scratch in 2024 that it would be nice to see something more modern closer to the Las Vegas Strip.

MGM Grand

There was a time when the MGM Grand sportsbook was a standout space at the property. That was a long time ago, back when the casino had a live lion exhibit.

Today, the space feels tired, with small, outdated screens mounted far above the betting counter. The long, narrow layout doesn’t help when you’re looking for a good line of sight.

The space could use a full overhaul. MGM could rebuild it, relocate it, or scale it down to a counter with kiosks, similar to Horseshoe.

The Palazzo

The Palazzo tower at The Venetian was once home to the groundbreaking Lagasse’s Stadium sportsbook.

The venue featured stadium couch seating, food from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, more than 100 TVs, giant projection screens, outdoor seating with bar games, and even a small casino area.

The space had its ups and downs before closing during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s still used for major events like the Super Bowl and March Madness, but the space looks largely unchanged.

It’s unlikely The Venetian will invest heavily here with its refreshed Yahoo Sportsbook nearby, but the space still has potential, and plenty of visitors miss it.

Planet Hollywood

The Planet Hollywood sportsbook hasn’t been updated in about a decade. The video above is six years old, and it was already outdated back then. It’s dark, the TVs and furniture are outdated, and the layout is awkward, with most bar-area tables empty much of the year.

That said, the old furniture is comfortable enough to fall asleep in, which isn’t exactly the goal for a sportsbook. There have been rumors of updates for years, but nothing has materialized. 

Caesars has shown that it knows how to fix a sportsbook through the modest refresh of the one at Paris. The casino operator could also follow the Horseshoe model, keeping the betting counter while converting the rest of the space into a Guy Fieri sports bar and restaurant. 

Rio

Caesars sold the Rio in 2019, and the new owners have renovated about half the casino floor, making it brighter and more inviting.

The sportsbook, however, was never touched. Despite looking decent in photos, the space feels dark and dated in person, almost like a black hole within the refreshed property.

It’s hard to know where to begin. Everything feels outdated, and the space may simply be too large for current demand. Still, it’s a sizable footprint with real potential if the new leadership team commits to a plan.