MGM Grand sports book upgraded

Thursday, March 17, 2005 | 10:54 a.m.

Just in time for the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament, MGM Grand today unveiled a redesigned sports book near the front of its casino that will be the first in Las Vegas to offer skybox seating.

The skyboxes, which overlook the race and sports book from a height of about 12 feet, range in size from 300 square feet to 325 square feet and are equipped with plasma screen televisions, surround-sound audio and a CD system. Originally conceived for daily rental, the skyboxes will only be available for rated casino players. They seat eight to 10 guests each.

The 5,300-square-foot race and sports book features 36, 60-inch plasma televisions, eight 42-inch plasmas, three electronic display boards and 17 betting counters. The race book features 47 seats, each with its own 10-inch color television that allows gamblers to access a network of racing and sporting events worldwide.

The new layout allows gamblers a good vantage point from anywhere in the room, while the skyboxes offer "the best view in the house" in a setting that is still "intimate" and close to the action, MGM Grand Race and Sports Book Manager Lamarr Mitchell said.

The new race and sports book, designed late last year, is "top of the line in the world," Mitchell said.

The race and sports book is centered around a newly redesigned area near the lobby that will include a poker room and a bar called Centrifuge.