Don’t suggest to Derek Stevens that smaller sports betting operators can’t compete with industry giants such as DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM, each of which operate in upward of 20 states and typically combine for as much as 80 percent of a single state’s sports wagering’s monthly revenue.
His Las Vegas-based Circa Sports is launching sports betting operations in Illinois and Kentucky, which will become the company’s fourth and fifth states, respectively, behind Nevada, Colorado, and Iowa.
“Sports betting can’t be like your eighth or ninth priority,” he added. “It must be a top priority for your business because this is an intensely competitive landscape.
Circa is the first mobile outfit to enter Illinois since BetMGM launched in March of last year and the eighth to accept bets in the state, which has overtaken New Jersey as the No. 2 market in the country for legalized commercial sports wagering handle behind New York.
Stevens has hitched Circa’s star in Illinois to Full House Resorts, a fellow Las Vegas-based outfit which is operating The Temporary at American Place in Waukegan. Circa’s space at The Temporary is its first retail sportsbook outside its signature Las Vegas location.
Circa will have its grand opening Wednesday, headlined by Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Ulracher. Should construction on American Place continue as expected, the permanent casino would open by early 2026.
“The one thing about our relationship with Full House is that we’re very complementary,” Stevens said. “They are very, very excited about [Wednesday], that we’re coming in with a group of 20 and Brian Urlacher. We’re doing what they wanted us to do — create a scene. That’s something right up our alley.”
Stevens isn’t alone in trying to capture more of the sports betting market. Sports merchandise giant Fanatics acquired the U.S. operations of Australian sports betting operator PointsBet this summer and launched Fanatics-branded sportsbooks in eight states. Penn Entertainment cut ties with Barstool Sports and partnered with ESPN. The operator of M Resort will launch ESPN Sportsbook in November.
On Wednesday, circa will open a sportsbook inside a temporary casino in Waukegan, Illinois, operated by Las Vegas-based Full House Resorts. Circa will follow Full House when the company opens its permanent American Place at the site.
The key, however, is the mobile sports betting license — which opened all of Illinois to Circa through remote registration and remote funding.
