Circa Sports Heads to Reno, Eyes Summer Launch at Legends Bay Casino

Posted on: April 19, 2022, 08:57h. 

Last updated on: April 19, 2022, 11:07h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Circa Sports is on its way to northern Nevada, targeting the debut of a sportsbook in the coming months at the Legends Bay Casino in Sparks.

Circa Reno
The sportsbook at Circa Las Vegas, seen above. The operator is launching in Reno later this year. (Image: Las Vegas Weekly)

It’s Circa’s first retail sportsbook in Nevada outside of its home market of Las Vegas and is something of a finishing touch for Legends Bay — a project in the making since 2007. Olympia Gaming, which is the gaming unit of Olympia Companies, will operate in the newest gaming venue in the Reno/Sparks market.

Legends Bay Casino will be a landmark opening for northern Nevada, and we are thrilled to partner with Olympia Gaming to introduce our brand to a new part of the state,” said Circa Sports CEO Derek Stevens in a statement.

Financial terms of the sportsbook project weren’t revealed. But privately held Circa said more details on the Sparks sportsbook, including access to the operator’s mobile app, are scheduled to be released in the coming months.

Entering Reno’s Sportsbook Scene

While Reno is dwarfed in size and notoriety by Las Vegas, that part of Nevada, including Lake Tahoe and Sparks, is a vibrant gaming market with increasingly attractive demographics.

As for the local retail sportsbook scene, it’s currently dominated by Caesars Entertainment’s William Hill brand. That makes sense because Caesars is the largest integrated resort operator in the region. But Circa could be a credible competitor.

Since launching at Stevens’ Golden Gate Hotel & Casino in 2019, Circa Sports established a reputation for being a customer-centric sportsbook willing to take action from sharp bettors. That’s an increasingly rare trait in the new US-regulated sports wagering landscape.

Additionally, Circa Sports has enviable brand recognition of its own, thanks in part to its glitzy venue at Circa Resort & Casino in downtown Las Vegas. That’s the largest brick-and-mortar sportsbook in the world. The name is well-known throughout Southern Nevada. They own locations in Stevens’ Golden Gate, The D downtown and retail books at the Tuscany Suites & Casino and The Pass Casino in Henderson.

Circa Sports’ mobile app is also available in Colorado and Iowa.

Legends Bay Finally Crossing Finish Line

The Circa announcement is a clear sign that Legends Bay is on course to open. Finally. The project was conceived 15 years ago and has since encountered its share of hurdles.

It was initially stymied by the global financial crisis, which ravaged Nevada’s economy. That prompted developers to employ a measured, phased approach to getting the venue going. More recently, the coronavirus pandemic slowed construction at the property.

Legends Bay is the first casino to be built from the ground up in the Reno/Sparks market in over 30 years. Interestingly, Circa Las Vegas was the first from-the-ground-up in downtown Las Vegas in 40 years when it opened in 2020.