Frequent Las Vegas sports bettors have been eagerly awaiting this news.
Derek Stevens, the owner of The D, Golden Gate and Circa casinos in downtown Las Vegas, will soon add sportsbook operator to his roster of achievements.
On June 1, Stevens will initiate a new sportsbook operation named Circa Sports. This will be the first time in almost a decade that a new sportsbook operator with this number of land-based casinos in Las Vegas has emerged.
PlayUSA had a conversation with Stevens and the Director of Circa Sportsbook, Matt Metcalf, to gain more insight about the thrilling new sports betting feature that will soon be available in Las Vegas.
The basics on Circa Sports
- The new sportsbook operation at Golden Gate Casino commences on June 1.
- On June 1, a mobile app utilizing the Stadium Technology platform will be available.
- The D is set to launch a new sportsbook in late June.
- The new sportsbook at Circa Las Vegas is set to open in December 2020.
- After launch, Circa Sports will announce a football and other contests.
- Betting on horse racing will be restricted to major races.
Where did Circa Sports come from?
Stevens, a passionate sports enthusiast and bettor, radiates joy when recalling his first visit to the Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook, now known as Westgate SuperBook. He cherishes memories of the Stardust sportsbook era and aims to recreate the quintessential Las Vegas sports betting ambiance in his recently established sportsbooks.
When Stevens bought the Golden Gate casino in 2006, he actually had the intention to start accepting bets. This notion came to him after he acquired Fitzgeralds and launched The D Las Vegas in 2012. However, at that time, he concluded that it would be preferable for William Hill to manage sports betting.
The venture between the two casinos wasn’t able to succeed due to insufficient betting volume, until plans for the opening of Circa were actualized. The new casino, which is under construction opposite the Golden Gate, will boast a large sportsbook that can accommodate about 500 people. It will also feature the biggest sportsbook TV screen in any sportsbook.
Together, the three casinos will provide Circa Sports with the capacity needed to handle the fluctuations of sports betting.
Big wins and contests with Circa Sports
Stevens has personally experienced a roller-coaster journey in sports betting. Last year, he placed a bet of $25,000 on the University of Michigan to win the college basketball championship at 40-1 odds. Had the Wolverines clinched the title, he would have walked away with a cool $1 million.
Although he didn’t clinch that bet, the thrill of a possible enormous win fuels Circa Sports. He aspires to provide other bettors with an equally exciting experience when they engage with his sportsbooks.
Circa Sports is set to hold contests with large prizes, much like the giveaways for casino gamblers. Additionally, they are preparing to announce a football contest that is expected to rival the well-known Westgate SuperContest.
Participants will be able to make picks on the mobile app, which is a feature that differentiates this football contest from the SuperContest.
Stevens may limit his personal sports betting as he’ll be experiencing the tension from the other side of the sportsbook. Rather than the thrill of turning $25,000 into $1,000,000, he’ll get the adrenaline rush of not losing a million dollar payout.
Metcalf stated that Circa Sports intends to adopt an aggressive approach with limits. Stevens also mentioned that they will provide higher limits for substantial bettors in the casino, as they aim to attract more people to the ambiance of their sportsbooks.
Big events in and around The D
Not only are large events enjoyable to attend, but they also present an opportunity to profit from sports betting. Besides owning casinos, Stevens also owns the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, which is located across the street from The D.
The venue is a hub for numerous events all year round, such as watch parties for the Super Bowl, Las Vegas Raiders and Vegas Golden Knights. Additionally, it is the location for crowded March Madness parties, fantasy draft parties and beyond, all hosted by The D.
All the mentioned events already enjoy considerable popularity, offering Stevens a chance to profit from any sports betting that occurs at The D. The two venues will collaborate to cater to sports bettors. Anyone new to betting will need to go to The D’s sportsbook to place bets or fund a mobile account, as Nevada law prohibits remote funding.
The D is set to renovate their sportsbook and bar area on the second floor, not coincidentally. The new sportsbook at The D is anticipated to open by the end of June.
Circa Sports HQ at the Golden Gate
Circa Sports commences its operations on the same day as the inauguration of a new sportsbook at the Golden Gate casino. The casino and sportsbook (as depicted in the above rendering) will serve as the headquarters for Circa Sports. Metcalf and his team will also have their office base at the Golden Gate.
The Golden Gate’s sportsbook will be suitably small for the casino. The unique combination of low ceilings and the condensed energy from the gamblers, which is unparalleled in most casinos, is expected to extend into the sportsbook.
Stevens and Metcalf anticipate that the high-energy atmosphere will provide guests with the unique sensation of a classic Las Vegas sportsbook experience. They point out that this level of action is something most bettors won’t have access to in their local markets.
Circa Sports mobile for Las Vegas sports betting
When Circa Sports opens on June 1, a mobile app will be available. The app is entirely developed by Stadium Technology, a company widely used by Nevada sportsbooks for their sports wagering apps’ backend. Among all, only CG Technology employs Stadium Technology for the complete app creation.
Customers are required to visit a casino for registration. Newly registered customers will be granted a signup bonus, the details of which will be disclosed nearer to the opening. After the app’s launch, bettors should anticipate more promotional offers.
A distinctive feature of this app is the option to also make contest picks. Unlike other football contests in Nevada that require participants to make picks in person or through a proxy, this app provides a more convenient alternative.
Horse racing
Circa Sports holds a pari-mutuel license permitting them to facilitate betting on daily horse racing. However, they may not use this license immediately, or at all. The newly established sportsbook operation intends to accept bets exclusively on prominent horse races such as the Kentucky Derby and other Triple Crown races.
For several years, pari-mutuel horse racing has been gradually departing from Las Vegas sportsbooks. The rationale behind Circa Sports’ decision to postpone daily horse betting is straightforward: the sportsbooks at Golden Gate and The D will not be expansive. Due to restricted seating, there might not be sufficient space in the sportsbooks to accommodate both horse and sports bettors.
When Circa opens, Circa Sports may start utilizing the parimutuel license. The upcoming sportsbook will feature over 350 seats on the ground floor for regular sports bettors. Additionally, the sportsbook’s second floor will provide seating for hundreds more as and when required.
Circa Sports expansion possibilities
Stevens’ strategy for Circa Sports begins with the Golden Gate, The D, and soon Circa casinos, but his vision extends beyond that. He suggests that there’s potential for their service to broaden to other sportsbooks in Nevada and possibly further in the future.
Circa Sports initially focuses on its own properties. However, as markets outside Nevada are rapidly evolving, they are considering the potential to expand into these markets in the future.
Significant resources and effort are being invested in the construction of two sportsbooks and a casino, as well as the initiation of a sportsbook operation. They aim to be cautious and not get overly ambitious, but their initial objective is to become the leading player in downtown Las Vegas’s sports betting market.
