Invited guests check out the three-story sportsbook, billed as the worlds largest, before the opening of Circa in downtown Las Vegas Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020.
Sunday, March 14, 2021 | 12:01 a.m.
Circa Sports is branching out in the Las Vegas Valley.
The Derek Stevens sportsbook brand, named after its flagship location at Circa Las Vegas in downtown Las Vegas, will debut books at the off-Strip Tuscany and the Pass, the soon-to-open former Eldorado property in downtown Henderson.
The book at the Tuscany, 255 E. Flamingo Road, will have a soft opening Monday before a ribbon-cutting event on Tuesday. It was closed earlier this month for remodeling.
The sports book at the Pass is expected to be taking bets May 1 or thereafter, pending approval from state gaming regulators.
The Pass, also subject to final regulatory approval, is expected to open April 1.
“We’re excited to open up (at Tuscany) right before March Madness,” Stevens said. “The Tuscany is a great property with great ease of access, and I like what we’re doing in Henderson on Water Street.”
The Tuscany sports book will remain in the space that housed the former William Hill book, across from Pub 365, near the main casino entrance.
It is much smaller than the Circa Las Vegas sports book, a multi-level, 1,000-seat facility with a 78 million-pixel TV screen that can show two-dozen sporting events at once. The downtown Las Vegas book, one of the largest in the world, opened late last year.
Monday’s opening will mark the first time a Stevens sports book will operate outside of his casino lineup, which includes the Golden Gate and The D on Fremont Street.
Stevens, who likes to bet on sports, said it’s possible a couple more satellite Circa Sports locations could pop up in the future.
In growing the Circa Sports brand, Stevens has been careful to offer competitive odds and a betting menu that appeals to professional and recreational bettors.
“The brick-and-mortar book at Circa has been terrific for us,” Stevens said. “It’s created interest in the property, and it’s helped with getting people to sign up with our app. If you’re a sports fan, you want to come out and see the world’s largest sports book.”
Joe DeSimone, owner of the Pass, said he knew the sports book at his new casino would be a big part of what is offered there.
After he agreed to buy the old Eldorado Casino from Boyd Gaming last year, he said, he knew he wanted to find a good fit to operate the book.
The search ended after “visiting with Stevens for about five minutes,” he said.
He called Circa Sports a “no-nonsense” brand that offers “quality over quantity.”
The sports book at the Pass will be finished before May, but it’s likely that patrons won’t be able to place bets until May 1 or after, DeSimone said.
“When I went to visit Circa for the first time, I found it impressive,” DeSimone said. “I thought the branding would be good for us but also for the city of Henderson.”
In addition to its physical locations, Circa Sports has a smartphone app that is available in Nevada and Colorado.
