All around Las Vegas, there are spectacular sportsbooks of all shapes and sizes. Up and down the Vegas Strip, from the Wynn to Mandalay Bay and all points in between. A short trek from Las Vegas Boulevard sits the aptly named SuperBook, the longtime standard-bearer inside the Westgate.
The South Point has that great book-of-the-people feel, and miles from the din of the Boulevard, Station Casinos books – most notably at Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch resorts – are refreshingly different from anywhere else in town.
Downtown, the Golden Nugget is among the most unique books, discreetly tucked into the casino floor.
Not nearly as discreet downtown, but unique to the extreme, Circa Sports’ newest sportsbook threw open its doors late Tuesday night, during the midnight grand opening of Circa Las Vegas Resort’s casino floor and Stadium Swim amphitheater. The hotel itself opens later this year.
To be sure, all those aforementioned books – and more – contributed to the eye-popping, three-story mecca to sports betting. The massive space includes a mind-blowing video wall, part of another big project brought to reality by the mind of Derek Stevens.
“Virtually all of this sportsbook was designed by Derek Stevens, through his experience as a sports bettor in Las Vegas over the past 30 years,” said Matt Metcalf, sportsbook director for Circa Sports. “Derek has spent time in various books all around the city – The SuperBook, Bellagio, Caesars – and was able to glean from those experiences exactly what he liked and disliked. This is reflected in the larger-than-life screens that can be found at books like Caesars and the SuperBook, and the booths at Bellagio, where Derek spent many Sundays watching NFL.”
Humble beginnings
Circa Sports first opened on June 1, 2019, with a boutique book inside the Golden Gate, another Stevens-owned property, right across Fremont Street from his sparkling new Circa Las Vegas Resort. Circa Sports then added a second counter on the second floor of Stevens’ Las Vegas property a couple of blocks east on Fremont Street, with the book adjacent to the new Bar Canada.
The operation quickly staked its reputation on being fully willing to book everyone's wagers – action from the sharpest of sharps, big plays from the high rollers, and the everyday public wagers that make up the vast majority of sports betting handle. And that’s still the overarching goal.
“We never stop working for new business. We are relentless in our goal of providing sports betting the way it should be to our customers,” Metcalf said, pointing to the level of service and the expertise of the Circa Sports staff. “This is a full-fledged bookmaking shop and as legitimate as any book in the world. We prioritize two things here: doing right by our customers and writing action.”
Grand opening
But from the moment Circa Sports launched, the compass pointed toward Tuesday night, with the opening of this massive flagship sportsbook. Metcalf said all the work of the past 17 months, from assembling a top-shelf team to launching the mobile app and curating a customer base, set the table for Tuesday.
“All of that is before you even get to the physical sportsbook, which is incredible,” Metcalf said, alluding to the gleaming space, before noting the challenge of opening a new shop as the city and the nation try to get through the COVID pandemic. “The challenges of the pandemic for this book will be trying to get the maximum amount of customers to be able to experience it during big sports days. We have built this book and are anxious to share it with the world.”
Metcalf and his crew are confident they’ll get the chance to do so.
“Derek Stevens has created a mecca for sports betting, and we are hoping we can give sports bettors a reason to visit for years to come,” Metcalf said.
