The independent owners of the Cosmopolitan knew they had a major problem. Their tiny sportsbook was stuck in the nosebleeds on the second floor. Most gamblers didn’t even know where to place a bet in the casino nor in the Cosmopolitan sportsbook. Many more didn’t even bother trying.
Then, in 2016, the Cosmopolitan Race & sportsbook was moved to the front row. It’s now located right in the middle of all the action on the main casino floor.
Talk about hitting a home run. The bright room is now the easiest sportsbook to find on the entire Strip. While many resorts almost hide their betting parlors, the Cosmopolitan takes center stage in Las Vegas betting at one of the newest properties on South Las Vegas Boulevard.
Cosmopolitan Sportsbook 101
The Cosmopolitan Race & Sportsbook is certainly not one of the bigger betting rooms, but it is located on prime real estate and it is just steps from all the action on the Strip.
Located at 3600 South Las Vegas Boulevard, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and its two towers stand at the heart of America’s Playground at the northwest corner of Harmon Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.
The stylish open-concept room encourages a party atmosphere with the Race & Sports bar and its unimpeded views of the main LED walls anchoring the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas sportsbook.
The Cosmopolitan sportsbook hours vary depending on the day of the week. The Cosmopolitan sportsbook, which is located in the southeast corner of the resort near the Boulevard Tower, is open Monday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
These are some of the longest hours at one of the best sportsbooks in Las Vegas. The sports bar is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m., and serves pub food and drinks. It has comfortable seating on all four sides of the bar, with a continuous ticker above displaying up-to-date odds and scores.
Players must be 21 years of age or older to wager anywhere in Nevada, including on Cosmopolitan entertainment esports or any other gaming platform in Las Vegas.
Players and guests to Cosmopolitan sports betting are welcome to take a seat on either side of the room.
Horse races are shown on about a dozen screens on the right side of the venue, while sporting events provide the action on bigger screens on the left side. As visitors walk into the sportsbook, they will see the betting stations and Cosmopolitan sportsbook odds, that is if they can avoid the commotion of the sports bar.
On display are the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas sportsbook odds on the major sports that are in season at the time. A nice glass-covered platform by the sports bar houses hard copy printouts of Cosmopolitan sports line future bets on all the major championships.
The betting stations provide a hard copy ticket of your wager, just like you would get at other major venues on the Strip like the Aria Sportsbook, Bellagio Sportsbook or the Sportsbook at Wynn. But, in today’s world, it seems online is taking over the betting action.
The Cosmopolitan sportsbook online is powered by CG Technology and offers a downloadable app to your Android or iOS device.
The Cosmopolitan online sports betting app offers more betting options than the regular sportsbook, but it’s only available for play during your stay in the state of Nevada. Once you leave the state, this app shuts you out of the action.
A better option would be to join the top-ranked online site Bovada, which can be accessed whether you are home or on the road. There are dozens of betting options on this easy-to-use platform, which has been getting rave reviews for years.
Place Your Bets at the Cosmo
Most of the betting windows are closed at the Cosmopolitan sportsbook if it’s a weekday in Las Vegas. There will be one or two open for whatever sport is in season to take your bets.
It’s the same story for horse racing. There’s only one betting station open on a typical weeknight for horse players that want to wager win, place or show or all the exotic bets offered at their racetrack of choice — like the Meadowlands in New Jersey or Del Mar in California.
Here are some of the bets you can place on all the regular daily sporting events:
- Money line
- Point spread
- Over/under totals
- Future betting
- Some proposition bets
Here are some of the sports you can place your bets on:
- NFL
- Major League Baseball
- NBA
- NHL
- Major soccer leagues
- College football and basketball
The Cosmopolitan offers the common sports lines on all of the major championships, but it is lacking in prop bets.
So are other resorts on the Strip, like the Venetian, Caesars Palace, Mirage and Mandalay Bay. It’s another reason why a membership with Bovada is your best bet.
The site covers all these issues, as the online king is never closed and offers a lengthy list of props and teasers on just about every sporting event.
Top Location on the Strip
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas property is located on the west side of South Las Vegas Boulevard with the Bellagio to the north and the Aria and CityCenter to the south across Harmon Avenue.
Taxis, ride share vehicles and limousines arrive at the main entrance off Harmon.
- Visitors arriving at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas will travel north on Swenson Street and turn left onto Harmon Avenue. From there, it’s a short drive to Cosmo property.
- A pedestrian bridge connects guests of the Cosmopolitan with the CityCenter shopping complex to the south and Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile shops to the east.
- Tip for travelers: Do not allow the taxi driver to take the highway to any resorts, including the Cosmopolitan. A better cost-effective option is to skip the taxi queue and ride share with Uber or Lyft.
Underground Parking at the Cosmo
Once one property on the Strip starts charging for something extra, all the other resorts seem to follow suit. Parking is no longer free at these iconic places, including the Cosmopolitan. That all changed in 2016.
- The Cosmo’s underground self-parking garage is located directly beneath the resort. It can be accessed on the south side of the hotel from Harmon through the main entrance or on the north side from Las Vegas Boulevard.
- Guests receive the first hour of their first day at the Cosmo for free. And then the prices climb. It’s $10 for the next one to four hours and $15 for four to 24 hours. After that, it’s $15 per day.
- Valet parking is even more expensive. It’s $15 for under two hours and $20 for two to 24 hours. After that, it’s $20 per additional day.
- The more you gamble at the Cosmopolitan property using your Identity rewards card, the more likely the parking fee will be waived.
Excellent Transportation Options
Public transportation and ride sharing programs are the best bet for tourists in Las Vegas. Ride share programs like Uber and Lyft continue to grow in popularity over the more expensive taxi services. A ride is usually just minutes away. Limousine services are available with the going rate around $85-90 an hour.
- The Las Vegas public transit bus service runs 24 hours a day on the Strip, with routes to and from the airport as well. A two-hour bus pass on the Strip is $6, 24-hour pass is $8 and a three-day pass is $20.
- The pass is good for the Deuce and Express bus lines. The Deuce is the slower of the two services, stopping at almost every resort on the Strip, including the Cosmopolitan. Download the rideRTC mobile app to see when the next bus arrives.
- The Express makes just four southbound stops on the Strip, including one in front of the Cosmopolitan. It’s another reason why this resort is in a great location. Of its four northbound stops on the Strip, the closest spot to the Cosmo is across from the Bellagio in front of the Paris.
- Both services will take visitors all over the Las Vegas area, including the two outlet malls and Old Vegas on the Fremont Street Experience.
- All resorts now have a designated spot for ride share programs, including the airport. Visitors can download the respective Uber or Lyft app and purchase a ride to their destination online. The cost is about two-thirds the price of a taxi ride.
Food & Drinks on Three Floors
Visitors will find a unique culinary collection at the Cosmopolitan. There’s more than two dozen restaurants aligned over the first three floors of the resort. The Cosmo was named one of seven must-visit hotels and resorts in the U.S., by the publication Food & Wine.
A few restaurant highlights:
- Hidden behind a pawn shop storefront, Beauty & Essex offers unique sharing plates and new twists on classic cocktails.
- Master chefs Eric and Bruce Bromberg bring their award-winning signature items of American cuisine to the Blue Ribbon.
- Guests will find some of the finest Mediterranean fare and freshest seafood at the Greek restaurant Estiatorio Milos.
- Other popular dining spots include: Holsteins (burgers), STK (steakhouse), Lardo (sandwiches), Jaleo (Spanish tapas) and the Wicked Spoon (buffet).
- A few bar and lounge highlights:
- Relax with friends and family at the Barbershop Cuts and Cocktails, which features live entertainment and an extensive whiskey selection.
- • The centerpiece of the resort is the Chandelier, which was created by shimmering, beaded curtains of light over multiple floors.
Complimentary drinks in the sportsbook don’t come easily either. A ticket seller in a recent visit demanded at least $300 in sports bets for a free beverage. No thanks.
A New Identity at the Cosmo
Identity rewards members receive exclusive offers for casino play, terrace suites, dining and drinks, concerts and poolside entertainment.
New members start at Velvet and work their way up through Sterling, Gold and the top tier Platinum level. The higher the level, the greater the rewards.
How do you join? It’s as easy as signing up online or getting in line at the Identity counter at the Cosmopolitan.
But there’s a catch, especially for sports bettors. Reward points for gaming can only be earned by gambling on slot machines or video poker. There are no benefits for those playing table games, betting on sports or wagering on horse racing.
Sure, the Identity program also offers some reward points for in-house shopping or dining, but nothing from the sportsbook? It’s just one more reason to join Bovada and enjoy the perks and bonuses from this trusted site.
Classy Cosmopolitan Casino
The Cosmopolitan has done a nice job of spreading out the 1,300 slot machines throughout the 100,000-square-foot main casino floor. Games that vary from one penny to $500 a pull are found all around table games, bars, two high limit rooms, and the sportsbook.
The Cosmo keeps up with the trends and carries today’s popular slot and video games. It’s also one of the few properties with windows in the casino where players can catch a glimpse of all the action and traffic on the Strip. Enjoy the view from this classy playground.
There’s also a high limit room for slot players and another for table games. The slot room is outfitted with 65 machines, which is quite a few for a casino considered to be on the smaller side.
The free cookies are a nice touch is this secluded room. High rollers enjoy blackjack and baccarat in the high limit room near the cashier’s cage. Here, table minimums are $100.
The table games on the main floor include the standard favorites of blackjack, baccarat, roulette and craps.
Other games, which often carry a $10 minimum or higher, include High Card Flush, Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ’Em, Casino War and Three Card Poker. You will find these games at venues off the Strip, too — like the Station, Red Rock and South Point casinos.
While the Cosmo casino doesn’t match the size of its competition on the Strip, it is still a very popular destination for tourists. It’s always standing-room only on the weekend so, even though complimentary drinks are offered to those who are gambling, service can be slow at times because of the big crowds.
Only Hotel With Balconies
One feature that sets the Cosmopolitan and its two towers apart are the terraces. Nowhere else on the Las Vegas Strip can you sit outside and enjoy the view of the Bellagio fountains from your own room balcony.
The two 51-floor towers — the Boulevard, which is closest to the Strip, and the Chelsea — opened to the public in December 2010.
- The $3.9-billion project features 3,027 hotel rooms, three pools, a spa and fitness facility, a 3,200-seat theater, and convention space.
- The City Room, with two queen beds, is the smallest room in the Chelsea Tower. The 460-square-foot space does not have a terrace.
- The Wraparound Terrace Suite, available in both towers, is 1,200 square feet and offers a dazzling view of the fountains, Strip and far-off mountains.
- Room prices are not cheap, but tend to be less than their neighbors like the Aria and Bellagio.
- In 2013, the hotel was rated “The Best Hotel in the World” by Gogobot. In 2015, the resort was named to the Condé Nast Traveller Gold List as one of the “Top Hotels in the World.”
