Circa Sports debuted Kentucky’s largest sportsbook with a soft opening this week at The Mint Gaming Hall at Kentucky Downs.
Already active with mobile betting in the state, Circa now has its name on a 5,100-square-foot venue at the famous race course.
The Circa sportsbook offers both staffed and 24-hour self-service betting kiosks, an 80-foot LED screen, a 31-foot odds board and seating options including 113 stadium-style seats, luxury recliners and booths. It also hosts an in-house Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) broadcast studio which will air “VSiN By The Books” live on-site.
The permanent sportsbook is currently in soft-launch mode ahead of an official ribbon-cutting in late August. Circa previously operated a temporary brick-and-mortar location at The Mint beginning last summer.
The location also gives Circa Sports the advantage of serving residents of Nashville and northern Tennessee. It is a 15-minute walk from the Tennessee border and a 45-minute drive from downtown Nashville and a popular tourist destination. Tennessee has online sports betting but no legal brick-and-mortar gambling options, increasing the allure of Kentucky Downs and The Mint Gaming Hall.
“We’re also seeing excitement from fans in Tennessee — especially in Nashville,” Circa CEO Derek Stevens said last month. “Together with The Mint, we’re creating a high-tech betting destination that will bring a new level of live-viewing excitement for customers across both states.”
“We’re proud to officially open the doors to this new sports betting experience for fans across the region,” Stevens added this week. “Whether you’re placing a bet or simply watching the action unfold, this book is built to be a premier gameday spot for Kentucky, Nashville and beyond.”
Missouri on the agenda
Kentucky is Circa’s fifth state of operation. It also offers some form of sports betting in its home state of Nevada, plus Illinois, Iowa and Colorado.
It intends to add a sixth before the end of the year. Circa is one of four sportsbooks confirmed to have applied for a license in Missouri’s upcoming online sports wagering market, which will open by Dec. 1.
Circa and the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) both told SBC Americas last week that Circa has applied for one of two untethered licenses in the state, which will allow sportsbooks to offer sports betting without a partnership with an in-state retail casino or pro sports team. Circa is a big underdog in a battle with industry giants FanDuel and DraftKings for one of the pair of direct licenses.
To reflect the advantages that an untethered license would offer by not requiring a partnership or related revenue-sharing agreement, they are twice as expensive as partnership licenses, at $500,000 versus $250,000.
The MGC has committed to announcing the two selected direct license-holders on Aug. 15.
