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Circa Sports is in a limbo position in Illinois. The Vegas-based operator applied for a Management Services Provider license in May 2022, but currently is not approved for full operation.
That same month, Circa Sports announced a partnership with Full House Resorts Inc., the company that recently opened The Temporary by American Place. The Temporary is a state-of-the-art casino and resort that will feature a Circa Sportsbook in the near future. When eventually operational, the Waukegan location will be the first retail Circa Sportsbook outside of Nevada.
Aaron Oster, Circa Sports’ Marketing Manager, told the Chicago Tribune that Circa hopes to launch its online sportsbook in Q3 of 2023, pending final legislative approval.
Circa is now considered the premier in-person sportsbook destination in Vegas, despite not being on the Strip, with its state-of-the-art Stadium Swim. Its odds are top-notch, too — instead of competing on promos and exotic props, Circa tries to offer the best prices of any sportsbook on major markets. It would be a great addition to the Illinois sports betting landscape.
Circa Sports is a Las Vegas-based sportsbook founded in 2019 by Derek Stevens. It is named after the Vegas casino and resort of the same name, founded by Stevens. He officially filed licensing paperwork for the sportsbook in September 2018.
The first retail location, at the Golden Gate hotel-casino which is also owned by Stevens, opened on June 1, 2019. Notably, the Circa Sportsbook within Golden Gate did not charge a vig for the first day of operation and took in more than $800,000. The mobile betting app was launched that same day.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Circa offered curbside betting for players at the Golden Gate.
Circa Resort opened on October 28, 2020, to widespread success. Circa had an existing reputation for allowing sharp bettors and the resort would continue to allow that practice but, as such, sustained substantial losses during the early months of operation.
In March 2021, Circa opened a sportsbook at the Tuscany casino, replacing William Hill as the operator.
Since 2020, Circa has announced partnerships with Century Casinos in Colorado, as well as Wild Rose in Iowa, with plans to provide both locations with mobile betting for both. It’s been live in those states for several years, but hasn’t made much of a dent, picking up less than 1% of market share in Iowa.
According to the Illinois Gaming Board, Circa Sports Illinois LLC applied for a Management Services Provider license on May 16, 2022.
In the interim, American Place opened The Temporary in late February, 2023. It includes hundreds of different slots machines, dozens of different table games like Blackjack and Roulette and a sportsbook from Circa slated to open in the upcoming months.
The Temporary is roughly 30 minutes from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and open from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. While Circa Sports also plans to run an online sports betting operation, there is no timeline as yet for the mobile sports betting launch. When finished, American Place will be the only casino in Lake County.
While Circa Sports has a decent market share — 3.5 % — in Nevada, its home operating state, the competition in Illinois is much tougher as DraftKings and FanDuel have been operating in the state for roughly three years at this point. However, Circa hopes that allowing sharp bettors and competing on price instead of promos will help it win in the long run.
There is no clear timeline for the Circa Sportsbook launch in Illinois as yet, but Circa Sports Illinois LLC did apply for a Management Services Provider license in May of last year.
According to the agreement between Circa Sports and Full House, the former will be permitted to run a retail sportsbook as well as offering mobile betting at the American Place casino location.
While American Place is under development, The Temporary provides players with a one-stop shop any and all gambling desires. The Circa Sportsbook is not yet operational in The Temporary, but the casino does have hundreds of different slot options and dozens or table games.
When finished, the Circa Sportsbook in The Temporary will include betting kiosks, physical ticket windows and digital boards with real-time odds. Additionally, the retail sportsbook will include 36 TVs so bettors can catch anything from the NBA to professional tennis.
Players can use the Circa Sports app to sign up and wager on any sport in the state. The casino will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. and the table games will be open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Circa Sports was slated to fully launch its mobile sports betting in the Land of Lincoln in late 2022, but was delayed due to logistical issues.
According to Aaron Oster, Circa Sports’ Marketing Manager, the company hopes to launch in Q3 of 2023, pending final legislative approval.
While Circa Sports is not currently a legal operator in the Land of Lincoln, the Las Vegas-based betting company announced a partnership with Full House Resorts for an eventual sportsbook site at American Place.
In the meantime, Full House will operate a Circa Sports’ book in The Temporary by American Place, in conjunction with the launch of the mobile sports betting app.
The Temporary, which opened on Feb. 17 in Waukegan, is a 70,000 square foot retail casino that features more than 1,000 slots machines and 28 table games currently — though it will eventually hold 50 total. Additionally, a sportsbook is slated to open in April.
The permanent casino, American Place, will reportedly be over 100,000 square feet with many of the same features as The Temporary, including a dedicated Circa Sportsbook.
Circa executives have indicated that they hope to be operational in Illinois at some point in 2023, potentially going live before the 2023 football season, which would obviously be a huge draw for all legal operators in the Prairie State.
American Place is slated to open in 2025.
