On a recent appearance of The Bostonian vs. the Book, Circa Sports CEO Derek Stevens claimed, “The timing is not really in our hands,” but “From our perspective, hopefully, it’s as soon as possible,” in response to the hosts’ queries as to when Circa Sports would bring its brand to Illinois
We had a great chat w @DerekJStevens from @CircaSports today on @BostonVsTheBook as he told @SportsbkConsig and I about how Circa thinks about their business and what they are looking to do in the space.
Full show audio: https://t.co/fBigNKjq74 pic.twitter.com/sAzH6XMpbe
— Matt Perrault (@sportstalkmatt) February 28, 2023
The delay wasn’t unexpected. Earlier this year, Stevens told Play Illinois that “The casino has to open and then there’s a period of time where the casino is open before they have the ability to bring a sportsbook in,” Stevens said. “A sportsbook in Illinois must open at a later date than the casino. The Illinois Gaming Board lists Circa Sports as an “applicant” on their website.
What Circa Sports Brings to Illinois
Circa Sports Sportsbook is known in Las Vegas as a sports bettors paradise–Circa is. Circa caters to pros and novices with posted limits that aren’t lowered when a gambler wins, along with the most competitive odds and prices in the sports betting industry.
Circa Sports is noted for its exceptional customer service. Circa has created a mecca of sports betting with its signature Circa Swim and 1000-seat retail sportsbook, including a 78-million-pixel video wall screen.
Wagering on Illinois college teams online is strictly prohibited. Still, Circa will offer the Prairie State bettors another retail sports betting location in what should be a spectacular venue to run a sportsbook operation out of.
What is New American Place Resort?
The New American Place Resort is a sprawling, 75,000 square-foot gambling paradise with a proposed 150-room hotel and a terrific location that could be “bigger than our whole company,” according to Full House Resorts CEO Dan Lee.
“We’re the only casino in Lake County, we’re kind of in the middle of it,”Full House CEO Dan Lee said during the quarterly call. “So, I think we’ll grow the gambling by people who live there because it’ll be much more convenient.”
Illinois Sports Betting Boom
While the January numbers haven’t been released yet, Illinois sports bettors wagered over $10 billion during 2022, and December marked the 3rd-consecutive month Prairie State sports bettors staked over a billion in bets.
