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Las Vegas is not dying! At least not this weekend. Thousands upon thousands of sports fanatics and gamblers have descended upon the Entertainment Capital of the World to watch March Madness and experience the first weekend of Dead & Co.’s return to The Sphere.
Hotel rooms are either completely booked or will cost you a small fortune. The sportsbooks? They’re absolutely packed!
Even though online sports betting is legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia, Las Vegas continues to be the most sought-after destination for gamblers worldwide. Placing a bet on an app is fun, but it’s a completely different rush to hold a physical ticket while sweating out a spread alongside strangers who quickly become temporary friends.
The viewing experience here is simply unmatched.
Doesn’t get much better than this pic.twitter.com/DXm8FUsRPs
— Max Hofmeyer (@hoffy8121) March 20, 2025
What makes the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament special is the non-stop action from Thursday through Sunday night. Sportsbooks offer a one-stop destination to watch all games simultaneously on massive screens — with plenty of food, drinks, and entertainment just steps away.
March Madness Crowds Overwhelm Vegas Venues
Circa was already slammed before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday morning!
Getting our head in the game #MegaMarch style! 🔥🏀#CircaLasVegas @CircaSports pic.twitter.com/vZmjtpdwEJ
— Circa Las Vegas (@CircaLasVegas) March 20, 2025
Basketball alone would draw crowds, but Dead and Company’s return to The Sphere adds another layer of attraction. They’re performing Thursday through Saturday, creating a perfect storm of entertainment options.
These events — combined with northerners escaping the lingering winter cold — have made Las Vegas as busy as ever. The scene presents a stark contrast to Super Bowl weekend just last month.
There’s an ongoing narrative that Vegas is dying because casinos and vendors are nickel-and-diming visitors past their breaking point. Many argue people would rather vacation elsewhere because Vegas has simply become too expensive.
That’s partly true.
However, this weekend’s hotel prices tell a different story. Let’s compare the cost per night for Saturday and Sunday between Super Bowl weekend and now:
Caesars Palace
Super Bowl: $40
This weekend: $561MGM Grand
Super Bowl: $68
This weekend: $348Paris
Super Bowl: $35
This weekend: $146Luxor
Super Bowl: $19
This weekend: SOLD OUT (seriously)Harrah’s
Super Bowl: $16
This weekend: $55Bellagio
Super Bowl: $194
This weekend: $294
The list goes on. You can argue that Las Vegas is dying, and you might have a point. I do think the city will eventually need to bring prices back down to earth if it wants to maintain consistent crowds.
Just not this weekend! March Madness and Dead & Co. are keeping Las Vegas very much alive — for now.
