I come from the "old school."

When it comes to sportsbooks, big casinos and modern technology doesn't do much for me. Give me access to up-to-date reliable information, helpful and knowledgeable sportsbook staff, and a perk or two (drinks, contests, etc.) and I'm the happiest gambler in the universe.

Maybe that's why I feel right at home at the Freemont.

This is very much a sportsbook from the old school. It's OLD Las Vegas. It's small, cramped, often crowded, and looks like a dinosaur compared to the bigger flashier newer palaces down on The Strip. The room holds no more than 60 to 70 people. On Sunday's you can’t get a seat unless you show up an hour early and then by game time there are usually hoards of people standing around watching.

The viewing area is made up of about six rows of tables and chairs. It looks much like a science classroom. A college professor could come in and give a lecture here to a captive audience -- with line sheets and newspapers spread out all over the tables. The layout is one of the many things that makes this sportsbook unique. It's a good place to "work." It’s not a great place to relax or doze. It's a busy room and feels like a real handicappers' hangout, instead of a magnet for flocks of sports-crazed tourists. Lighting is bright, and every television screen and note on the tote board is easy to see. Even the worst seat in the house is no more than about 50 feet from the televisions.

There are a dozen or so large televisions at the front of the room. They are intermingled with the odds up on the tote board. Numbers are written with a magic marker on a white background. One complaint -- there is not enough space on the board to list all the odds. For example, second-half numbers in NFL games are barked out over a microphone (not always audible) and are not left up on the board. So, you have to pay attention or you might miss something (so this place deserves the "classroom" analogy).

Except for the Golden Nugget, all the downtown casinos are much more informal than elsewhere and you are likely to see people from all walks of life in this establishment. That's putting it mildly. Most of the gamblers who frequent this Freemont appear to have no more than a few dollars riding on the game(s) but to watch and listen to them you'd think it was every dollar they had (perhaps in some cases -- it is!). The Freemont is an easy place to make a friend (or an enemy), because everyone sits within close proximity and you can hear every word spoken. So, if you go in and trash talk a team or a player you don’t like, expect to get a rebuttal. You are likely to hear the F-word 300 times in this room on a typical Sunday afternoon. If I'm in the room, and losing -- double that number.

Mid-week, things are a bit slower. I've watched many West Coast baseball games here in the past and always easily found a seat.

Best of all, the Freemont is part of the Boyd Chain -- which is committed to sports gambling. The sportsbook offers a weekly handicapping contest (college and pro football combined). It's completely free and they give away $10,000 each week. I have a minor complaint that you have to pick the winner of the games -- not against the pointspread. But since the contest is free and no other casino in town offers such a generous bonus for players, who am I to complain about the rules? To enter, all you need to do is sign-up for the card (which has your number) and you can enter every week. Again -- it's $10,00 to the winner so that's a pretty good deal.

The Freemont staff is very friendly, especially considering they have to deal with some heavy riff-raff in this room (downtown brings out some derelicts). I have asked for extra information from the sportsbook tellers and they were always happy to provide it.

Line sheets are always plentiful and easily available to players.

One thing I don’t like is that there are slot machines on the periphery of the room. The brainless coin-dropping addicts pouring their retirement checks into the machines make a lot of noise which can get very annoying when you are trying to concentrate on a game. But since space is at a premium at many of the smaller downtown casinos, that's a minor thing. There's a Tony Roma's restaurant about 20 steps away (open for dinner only). One of the best parlays in the city is -- (1) dinner at Tony Roma's followed by (2) a visit to the sportsbook which is right outside the front entrance.

If I were to describe the Freemont in one word -- that word would be "cozy."

ATMOSPHERE: B

COMFORT: C

TV SCREENS: B

STAFF: A

COMMITTED TO SPORTS GAMBLING: A

OVERALL: B+