Caesars Palace Adds Fees, Ups Pricing for Seating at its Lounges

Posted on: September 27, 2022, 12:31h. 

Last updated on: September 27, 2022, 03:43h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Even before the 2018 Supreme Court ruling on the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), it was common for Las Vegas sportsbook to charge customers for seating during football season. But Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip is ratcheting up that proposition.

Caesars sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook Las Vegas, seen above. It’s not cheap to watch football there. (Image: Caesars Entertainment)

While it stands to reason there are fees for seats at Caesars Race & Sportsbook during football season, other lounges at the famed integrated resort are following suit, including Alto Bar, the Montecristo Cigar Bar, Stadia Bar, and Vista Cocktail Lounge.

As just one example — one highlighted by Vital Vegas — a table for two at Alto Bar to watch Thursday Night Football on September 25 carries a rental fee of $25, and a minimum spend of $100, But the hits don’t stop there.

There’s a $10.50 processing fee, a nearly $10 credit card fee, a sales tax of $8.38, and a gratuity of $18. Caesars currently quotes a “pay now” price of $171.74 to watch the game at Alto Bar this Thursday.

That doesn’t include betting on the game, or other wagering customers may engage in.

Caesars Looking to Capitalize on Football

It’s no secret that football is the most wagered-on sport in the US and that Caesars Palace is home to one of the most famous sportsbooks in the country.

That’s a compelling combination for the operator, but perhaps not so much for cost-conscious consumers. Bettors and fans who want to take in Sunday NFL action at Caesars sportsbook on the Strip have four packages to choose from if they want to reserve seating. The prices range from $140 to $350 per person before taxes and fees and include just three free drink tickets for beer, wine, and well — not premium — spirits. When accounting for fees, the $350 package costs $407.06 per person.

Caesars also offers a VIP package for $400 per person and a VIP Fan Cave experience for $4,000 that includes a “VIP couch for up to 10, unparalleled views of the 30-foot wide curved TV wall,” according to the gaming company.

The operator’s calendars for the aforementioned venues confirm that these are football-specific offerings. Caesars Sportsbook, Alto Bar, the Montecristo Cigar Bar, Stadia Bar, and Vista Cocktail Lounge have dedicated football seating packages every Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from now through the end of 2022.

Not Just Las Vegas

Leveraging football’s popularity to generate more revenue isn’t a tactic that’s confined to Las Vegas. For example, one Twitter user claims Harrah’s New Orleans — operated by Caesars — has $200 game-day seating packages at its sportsbook.

The DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, has a VIP area with bottle service and bottle service prices. It charges $250 a bottle for Johnnie Walker Black or more than eight times the price the same bottle sells for on TotalWine.com.

In Las Vegas, Bellagio, Circa, Westgate, and Wynn are among the casinos where seating can be reserved during football season. The price points vary wildly from as low as $100 per person on college football Saturdays to as high as $1,600 for luxury boxes at Wynn.