If you go to Las Vegas and you’re there to bet on sports, then get ready for the best live experience you can have. Vegas, like the rest of the state, has had legalized gambling since 1931. It became the center for all gaming interests in the U.S. in the 1950s, and it offers sports bettors many brick and mortar establishments. This is a very different experience than you’ll get online. It’s true that the overall process of making a bet is similar, but being there, in the midst of the sports betting universe, can be invigorating, intimidating, and enlightening.

Proper Behavior

It’s important to realize that proper behavior is expected and required. Management will presume that you will be polite, not use foul language, and be respectful of others. You’re surrounded by other bettors, some of whom are professionals, and by people who are looking to have a good time. No one wants to be hassled or annoyed.

When you place your bets, you’ll have the chance to interact with an attendant or cashier. The betting window is the place to be on your best behavior. Always be polite and ready to place your bets. Before going to the window, make sure that you understand how to make a wager and what the cashier will need from you.

What to Expect

If you are new to a specific sportsbook, then when you first arrive take some time to tour the place and assess where everything is located. You want to get the lay of the land before you begin wagering. Also, make sure that it’s an establishment that you want to spend some time in.

There should be plenty of large screen TVs on which you’ll watch different games. You should be able to easily read the latest odds. Also, make sure there are places for you to sit and relax. Check to see what the food and drink situation is like. Many sportsbooks will have a buffet and drinks that are reasonably priced. Finally, be sure that there are enough betting windows so that you can make your bets in a timely manner.

What’s Expected of You

Here are some insights on proper sportsbook behavior. Do not become belligerent, difficult to deal with, or try to intimidate others. Causing a scene can be bad for the sportsbook and its business. The result may be that you’re asked or forced to leave the premises. Always act properly at all times.

• The first thing to do is the make sure that you understand the terminology of betting. As an example, when you go to the window to make a bet, you’ll need to know how to read the rotation number, spread, line and over/under. You must be able to understand odds in every manner.
• Before making a bet, know the following, as this will make the process go smoothly: the rotation number of the team on which you’re betting, how much you are risking, and the type of bet that you’re placing. If you’re at the betting window and you don’t know these things, it will waste the attendant’s time, and it will also delay the ability of others to make their wagers.
• Sometimes the person at the window will offer you a tip on a game. If you take their advice, and you win some money, let’s say $500, then you should give that person a $50 (10%) tip. That’s just common courtesy and a standard in the business.
• If you do win, do not go around to everyone and announce that you made a score or telling those in the establishment what you just took down. Remember that you are in the midst of people who also bet on that game and other such contests, and many have lost money. Some have lost a lot of money. Certainly, you should be happy that you won, but don’t make a big show of it. That will simply create resentment and a negative atmosphere in the sportsbook.
• Don’t give people betting advice unless they specifically ask for it. Winning cash on a bet or two does not make you an expert. You may miss on your next five wagers. Don’t act like a know-it-all. Others at the sportsbook will start to dislike you.
• Also, it’s very bad form to go to strangers and ask them how much they lost or how they did. You run the risk of offending and/or angering someone. Whether someone lost or won, it’s none of your business. Don’t put others on the spot by asking them personal questions about the outcome of their bets.

Although the points made above may sound like common sense to you (and they are), you’d be amazed at how many people make these gaffes and other similar mistakes.

Have a Great Time

When you go to a brick and mortar sportsbook, you should do so expecting to have a great time. Go with friends, kick back, make some bets, have food and drinks, and watch a game or two. Remember, though, that a book is a business and that there are others there who also want to have a good time. Knowing how to behave, what you should do, and how you should do certain things will help to make your time enjoyable for you and others.