The excitement is building as Circa Sportsbook prepares for its much-anticipated launch in Illinois. Circa Sports hopes to set up shop in its fourth state later this year and become the eighth operator to offer legal sports wagering in Illinois, joining the ranks of DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM.
The Las Vegas-based operator will debut both a retail location and an online sportsbook in the state. The retail sportsbook will launch at The Temporary by American Place Casino, an interim casino property in Waukegan operated by Full House Resorts, Inc.
The exact launch date has yet to be announced, but Jeff Benson, the Director of Operations at Circa Sports, told reporters in mid-May the sportsbook aims to start taking bets from Illinoisans in August. Other senior-level officials – including CEO Derek Stevens and Aaron Oster, who serves as the marketing manager – have corroborated Benson’s statement on when the Illinois operations will officially be up and running.
Of course, final approval from the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) is still needed.
Nonetheless, bettors across Illinois are excited to see another option in the state’s growing sports betting market.
The downtown Vegas-headquartered Circa Sports already operates retail and online sportsbooks in Iowa, Colorado, and Nevada. We’ve taken an incisive look at how the operator runs its sports betting operations in these states to get a sense of what bettors in Illinois might expect when it finally launches in the Land of Lincoln.
What we cover
Can Circa Sportsbook compete in the increasingly crowded Illinois market?
As far as online sports betting goes, Circa’s foray into the Illinois market isn’t its first rodeo. The casino operator launched its mobile betting app in June 2019 at the Derek Stevens-owned Golden Gate Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas.
Despite its off-Strip location, Circa Sportsbook is now widely regarded as the best retail sports betting destination in Vegas, beating out well-established rivals like Caesars Palace Sportsbook, Wynn Sportsbook, and Westgate SuperBook.
Bettors can catch all the live sporting action at the Fremont Street Experience sportsbook on a three-story, 78 million-pixel LED screen.
Nevada bettors can also place in-person bets at Circa’s retail sportsbooks and kiosks at various locations throughout the state, including The D Casino & Hotel, Tuscany Suites & Casino, the Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino, and Legends Bay Casino.
The company expanded its operations to Colorado in July 2020, setting up Circa’s first mobile sports betting app outside of Nevada. Circa’s Iowa app followed suit more than a year later, opening on October 7, 2021.
Circa Sportsbook has quickly carved out a niche for itself in the online sports betting scene. Its online sportsbooks are live in Iowa and Colorado, where bettors rave about their aggressively high betting limits and superb customer support.
Both Circa online sportsbooks and mobile apps offer a dizzying array of pre-game and in-play betting options across an extensive menu of sports, along with live streaming. The operator backs these markets with some of the country’s highest odds, which is something that Illinois bettors should definitely look forward to.
Circa Sports has already received the Management Services Provider license from the IGB. It’s the legal green light for the operator to launch a retail sportsbook and online sports betting in Illinois, pending final approval from the IGB.
However, the Illinois current sports betting landscape is not a bed of roses. When it eventually launches in the state, Circa will go up against seven legal online sportsbooks: DraftKings, FanDuel, Barstool, Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, BetRivers, and PointsBet.
What’s more, the Illinois online sports wagering market is largely dominated by only three operators. Revenue and handle data released by IGB shows that BetRivers, DraftKings, and FanDuel command more than 75% of the combined market share. For example, in February 2023, DraftKings and FanDuel brought in a combined $586,083,426, which accounted for over two-thirds of the overall state handle.
This begs the big question: can Circa establish a foothold in this fiercely competitive yet lopsided market?
Circa’s competitive edge
The leadership at Circa doesn’t seem bothered by the threat posed by the Big Three. The CEO pointed out at a recent interview that different sportsbooks appeal to different types of bettors, noting that there’s definitely room for them in Illinois.
Of course, Circa doesn’t have plenty going for it right out of the gate. The company is backed by a well-oiled team of funders – most notably its CEO Derek Stevens – willing to invest heavily in marketing, promotions, and other Circa’s Illinois operators.
The buzz already generated by Circa in Nevada, Iowa, and Colorado could help it gain a foothold in Illinois. The operator will push a strategy that emulates its operations in these states where it enjoys a modestly large and loyal customer base.
The sportsbook is currently holding its own in the Iowa and Colorado markets, where it’s in the mid-tier of mobile sportsbooks, according to betting analysts at Ilgamblingfun.com.
April 2023 revenue figures released by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission indicate that Circa Sportsbook received a $17.34 million handle. That ranks Circa 8th of the 18 online sports wagering operators in Iowa.
The state of Colorado doesn’t publish sportsbook-specific revenue figures, but experts place Circa Sports in the middle of the pack, behind the four major operators: Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel.
In addition to best odds, Circa has a reputation for welcoming large bets. That could attract high-volume bettors looking to get the most value. That’s a clear competitive edge against FanDuel, DraftKings, and Caesars known for imposing limits on accounts.
Bringing a taste of Vegas to Illinois
Circa’s brand is well known among sports bettors, largely thanks to its flagship location in downtown Las Vegas.
The physical sportsbook is a slice of a haven for any sports fan, with six large heated pools, a 40-foot LED video wall, and swim-up poolside betting. Circa hopes to recreate that experience on a smaller scale at The Temporary by American Place Casino.
Although swim-up outdoor sports wagering may not be in the offing for Illinoisans, Circa aims to bring a slice of the Sin City experience to Waukegan. The $375 million American Place Casino, which is under construction until 2025, will feature a best-in-class sportsbook and 325,000-square-foot casino with plenty of action — including more than 100 gaming tables and over 1600 slot machines.
The permanent property will also include a hotel with 20 villas and a humongous live entertainment venue with 1500 seating capacity, as well as multiple restaurants, bars, and much more. Circa hopes to make good on its promise to bring premium gaming and entertainment to Illinois.
