Nevada sports betting operators are reopening their mobile sportsbooks, regaining their competitive footing thanks to drive-thru methods and upcoming opportunities in the UFC, NASCAR and the release of the 2020 NFL schedule.
Two Las Vegas-based sportsbooks return to action this week after halting all operations several weeks ago due to the COVID-19 shutdown. South Point sportsbook reopened its mobile app Wednesday, and The SuperBook’s mobile app goes live Thursday.
“It’s nice to be doing what we do, which is taking action,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews told Covers on Wednesday. “And we’re doing it smartly and safely for our customers and staff.”
Why are Nevada mobile sportsbooks reopening?
UFC betting is certainly part of the calculus for South Point and The SuperBook reopening. The Saturday night UFC 249 card at a fanless arena in Jacksonville, Florida, is full of top-notch bouts and represents the first major competitive sporting event in North America since the shutdown.
But bettors can never get enough NFL, so expect to see plenty of that available on both mobile apps. The NFL regular season schedule will be unveiled Thursday night, at which time The SuperBook plans to post NFL Week 1 odds, according to executive director John Murray.
Andrews jumped right in Wednesday with a boatload of new NFL prop bets. Along with team vs. team season win matchups, there are dozens of player matchups: quarterback vs. quarterback, running back vs. running back, receiver vs. receiver.
“I put up a bunch of unique props, and I tried to make some sense of them,” Andrews said. “In team vs. team, I’ve got the Chargers vs. the Rams, for example. In quarterback matchups, with touchdown passes, I’ve got Russell Wilson vs. Patrick Mahomes, DeShaun Watson vs. Lamar Jackson. I’m just trying to be a little unique and give people something to bet on with us.”
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Which Nevada mobile sportsbook are open?
- Circa Sports
- William Hill US
- Caesars Entertainment
- The SuperBook
- South Point
- BetMGM
How are sportsbooks reopening?
South Point sportsbook added a drive-thru setup through the valet that will allow current customers to make deposits and new customers to sign up. The SuperBook can’t take new registrations yet, but has a process through its mobile app by which current customers can fund accounts.
Circa Sports, whose mobile app has remained live throughout the shutdown, is also setting up curbside service, through the Golden Gate valet. The service will allow for new registrations, depositing of funds, and sign-ups for the Circa Sports Million and Circa Survivor football contests. And William Hill US in Nevada, which has also kept mobile up during the shutdown, announced a short-term program: from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, there will be four drive-thru locations offering sign-ups and deposits.
When will retail sportsbooks reopen?
Retail operations for all Nevada sportsbooks are likely weeks away from reopening, at best. Until hotel-casinos get the green light, sportsbooks contained within will remain shuttered. But getting mobile back on track this week was key, with several good sports markets returning.
"As soon as we got some familiar sports back on the calendar, we thought it was the right timing to reopen our app," said Jay Kornegay, executive vice president of race and sports for The SuperBook. "With UFC hosting three cards in 10 days, golf events and NASCAR running seven races in 10 days, this was the perfect time for us." **video
