A longtime, well-respected sportsbook director and integral figure in the growth of retail sports betting in Nevada is taking a step back.
Jay Kornegay, 61, is retiring as vice president of operations at the Westgate SuperBook, he confirmed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
A recent inductee into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame, Kornegay has spent more than four decades working in the gaming industry. He’ll transition into an ambassador role for SuperBook that takes him out of the day-to-day operations. He’ll continue to work with the media and SuperBook oddsmakers as well as serve as the vice president of marketing.
Changing priorities
Kornegay told the Review-Journal that he will have a limited presence at the casino, instead prioritizing time with his wife and two adult children.
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, especially since I lost a lot of close friends in recent years way too young,” said Kornegay. “I was looking to take a step back from the day-to-day operations and focus on some of the things I’ve been wanting to do for a while, and that is to travel and just spend more time with the family and enjoy what I’ve been working toward for 38 years.”
Creating a career
Kornegay has been a part of the Las Vegas sports betting scene since the late 1980s. He helped establish the Imperial Palace sportsbook, which became popular for offering a large number of prop bets, especially for the Super Bowl.
Kornegay served as sportsbook director from 1995 until he joined SuperBook in 2004. The famed brick-and-mortar sportsbook was then owned and operated by Las Vegas Hilton. It set the standard in Sin City with giant TV screens, a player-friendly atmosphere, and the famous SuperContest.
Building a brand
Westgate took over the property in 2015. Kornegay helped the SuperBook brand expand retail sportsbooks throughout Nevada.
Following PASPA being overturned in 2018, SuperBook got into the online sports betting boom and launched in eight U.S. states. However, the company ceased running online sportsbooks earlier this year in Tennessee, Colorado, Arizona, Iowa, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia.
Kornegay told the Review-Journal that the downsizing decision played no role in his retirement plans.
