Boomer's Sportsbook Nears Two More Nevada Locations
Boomer's Sportsbook is a step closer to opening two more Nevada locations after state regulators recommended licences for its planned sportsbooks in Dayton and Virginia City.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board voted on Wednesday, November 4, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and it was a short session: the board waived appearances by the operators and voted unanimously without discussion.
The same meeting also recommended licences for William Hill at three Terrible's casinos, as we covered in our report on the Terribles approvals. In total the board backed five sportsbooks.
The Two Boomer's Locations
Boomer's applied for race book and sports pool licences at the Nevada Nugget Casino in Dayton and at the Delta Saloon in Virginia City, according to the board's November disposition.
Both were recommended for approval with conditions. The disposition notes that it has not yet been approved and is subject to revision at the board's next meeting.
If the Nevada Gaming Commission follows the board's recommendation, it could grant the licences at its November 19 meeting, the Review-Journal reported. Nothing is final until the commission votes.
Conditions Attached To The Approvals
The recommendations carry the same set of conditions at both sites. The surveillance system must be inspected and approved by the board's Enforcement Division within 60 days of the state licence being issued, and then maintained at or above the approved standard. Before any wagering starts, the operator must have an executed reserve agreement approved by the board's Audit Division.
Ticket writers must be employees of Boomer's Sportsbook LLC unless the board chair or a designee allows otherwise. Any change to the agreement between Boomer's and M1 Gaming LLC, or any new agreement between them, must be reported to the board within 30 days.
The board also requires prior administrative approval before Boomer's converts a location between a kiosk-only operation and a manned satellite operation. If a location uses both a manned operation and a kiosk, approval is also needed before closing either one for more than 180 days and reopening it.
Why Regulators Waived Appearances
The Review-Journal said it is unusual for regulators to skip the chance to question the background of an applicant, but that William Hill Nevada and Boomer's have appeared before them many times in recent months. Board members know both operators well enough, the paper said, to be confident they would not present reputational problems for the industry.
The Terrible's approvals continue a partnership between William Hill owner Caesars Entertainment and Las Vegas-based Terrible's. The two connected in July to keep the sportsbook at the Primm Valley Resort operating after a 17-day shutdown that regulators monitored closely, the paper said. William Hill has also added new or expanded locations this year and last at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Hotel Nevada in Ely, The Verdi Grillhouse and Barton's Club in Jackpot.
Boomer's Aim
Boomer's owner, Joe Asher, has been a frequent applicant. He most recently appeared for licensing at the Four Queens and Binion's in downtown Las Vegas, and has said Boomer's aims to have 20 branded sportsbooks open across Nevada by the end of the year.
The Nevada Gaming Commission's November 19 meeting is the next checkpoint. If it approves the licences, Boomer's will still need to satisfy the conditions above before it can take bets, including the surveillance inspection and the reserve agreement.
