First FanDuel Sportsbook In Las Vegas Is Another Step Closer To Going Live

FanDuel is another step closer to entering the Nevada sportsbook market.

Last week, all companies involved with FanDuel Sportsbook were recommended for a license by the Nevada Gaming Contol Board (NGCB).

The next step in the process happened on Thursday. That’s when the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) approved FanDuel for a license to operate a Nevada sportsbook. It took just over an hour-long presentation to the NGC for FanDuel to get approval for a Nevada gaming license.

Fremont Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas will become the first FanDuel-branded retail sportsbook in Nevada in early 2025.

How FanDuel Las Vegas will operate, sorry no online app

FanDuel is only seeking a license to operate one retail sportsbook in Nevada. The sportsbook inside the Fremont will be the only location in Nevada where players can wager with FanDuel.

FanDuel will not offer a mobile sports betting app or Daily Fantasy Sports in the Silver State.

The FanDuel Sportsbook inside the Fremont will offer odds from FanDuel. The company will not staff the sportsbook. All employees at the FanDuel Sportsbook will work for Boyd Gaming.

Boyd Gaming and FanDuel have been sports betting partners around the US since 2018. Additionally, Boyd Gaming owns 5% of FanDuel.

Most sportsbooks at Boyd Gaming casinos around the country are operated by FanDuel.

FanDuel will provide Boyd Gaming with advice on odds and risk management. For its efforts, FanDuel will receive a percentage of sports betting revenue for wagers placed at the Fremont.

The FanDuel Las Vegas Sportsbook at Fremont Hotel & Casino

Boyd Gaming is currently renovating and expanding the casino floor at the Fremont. All together, the company is spending $50 million to upgrade the property.

Boyd Gaming revealed some specs for the new Fremont sportsbook. This will not be a mega-sportsbook like Circa down the street in downtown Las Vegas.

The FanDuel sportsbook at Fremont Casino will be just over 2,300 square feet. The space will be commensurate with the size of the property.

The FanDuel sportsbook will have a 40-foot bar, 16 tables and seating for 76 people.

Guests can watch the games on two 16’x9’ LED video walls. The sportsbook will feature 14 odds and promotional screens.

There will be four windows for players to make wagers with a person and seven self-serve kiosks to place bets.

Boyd Gaming tells PlayNevada to expect visuals after FanDuel gained final approval from the NGC.

A single sportsbook in Las Vegas and a trial run for FanDuel

At this time, FanDuel only applied for a license to operate the retail sportsbook at only one of Boyd Gaming’s Las Vegas casinos.

In addition to the Fremont, Boyd Gaming operates the following eight casinos in downtown Las Vegas and around town:

• Aliante
• California
• Cannery
• Gold Coast
• Main Street Station (currently no sportsbook)
• The Orleans
• Sam’s Town
• Suncoast

Boyd Gaming’s Eastside Cannery is closed. The company does not have plans to reopen the casino at this time.

During the meeting with the NGCB, a FanDuel rep said that further expansion into other Las Vegas casinos is up to Boyd Gaming.

It appears as though this single retail-only sportsbook for FanDuel at a Boyd Gaming casino could be a trial. In theory, if all goes well this might be the beginning of Boyd branding more of its Nevada properties with FanDuel Sportsbook.

Unfortunately, the FanDuel experience will only be available to Nevada residents and tourists who visit Fremont. The company is not attempting to bring its popular mobile sportsbook app to Nevada.

About mobile sportsbook account registration in Nevada

Nevada sports bettors do not have access to the best mobile apps for most sportsbook operators. If FanDuel is approved to operate the Fremont sportsbook, the company will not bring its widely popular mobile app to Nevada.

At this time, the following  sportsbook operators offer different sports betting apps in Nevada than in the rest of the country:

• Caesars (Caesars Sportsbook)
• Circa Sports
• MGM Resorts (BetMGM)
• Westgate SuperBook
• Willliam Hill
• Wynn (WynnBet)

Sportsbook operators are used to dealing with different mobile sports betting regulations in every state. It’s not very difficult for the operators to offer different menus for each jurisdiction.

The process of offering different sports betting menus isn’t too difficult. The national companies just have to make certain items available where they’re legal and turn off the items where they’re not legal.

What’s more complicated is allowing players to use mobile apps. Gaming commissions in most states around the country allow sportsbooks to offer mobile account registration. Nevada does not allow this feature.

Companies that offer sports betting apps in Nevada must use different software that does not allow players the convenience of signing up for an account from the comfort of anywhere.

That’s one reason why the sportsbook operators above have different mobile apps in Nevada than in the rest of the country.

Nevada will continue to get the short end of the sports betting app stick for a while. There are still casino operators fighting to keep this feature on the sidelines.

Don’t expect to see the best sportsbook apps until Nevada mobile account registration regulations are changed.