Circa Sports Launches in Kentucky and Illinois

Article ByDavid Weir

October 2, 2023

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Posted in: US Sports Betting News, Illinois Gambling News, Kentucky Gambling News, US Gambling News

Las Vegas-based sports betting operator Circa Sports has expanded its footprint by launching in Kentucky and Illinois. This marks the operator’s fifth and sixth regulated U.S. sports betting markets

Circa Sports first partnered with racetrack Cumberland Run to add to the list of new Kentucky retail sportsbooks. It was also among the first batch of online sportsbooks in Kentucky, launching on Thursday last week.

Then, on Friday, Circa announced it would be debuting among Illinois online sportsbooks, as well as a retail sports betting venue at the American Place Casino in Waukegan, about 20 miles from Chicago.

Circa Sports is a famous Nevada retail sportsbook operator. It runs what it says is the world’s largest sportsbook venue at the Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, and it also stages popular multi-million dollar prize pool NFL Survivor contests every year.

Tremendous Growth

The collaboration with Cumberland Run, a horse racing track located in Corbin, Kentucky, will allow Circa Sports to operate a retail sportsbook at the venue.

It also opened online betting in Kentucky on Thursday, the same time as seven other national U.S. sportsbook operators. That included big players DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Fanatics.

“Circa Sports has experienced tremendous growth since our 2019 launch, and we’re thrilled to introduce our operations to the great Commonwealth of Kentucky,” said CEO of Circa Sports Derek Stevens.

“We are grateful to our partners at Cumberland Run for bringing this to life, and look forward to sharing what the brand has in store for Kentucky.”

Nothing Like Midwest Sports Fans

Meanwhile, in Illinois, Circa Sports made its debut with the launch of its mobile betting app, making it the eighth player in the state’s mobile sports betting market.

The company’s entry into its sixth market was also marked by a new Illinois retail sportsbook launch. On Friday, Circa Sports began accepting bets in partnership with The Temporary Casino at The American Place Casino in Waukegan.

The Temporary will soon be replaced by a brand new multimillion addition to the list of Illinois casino venues, the full American Place Casino.

The road to launching in Illinois was not without challenges for Circa. It initially planned to launch a physical sportsbook when The Temporary opened its doors earlier in 2023.

However, state regulations required the casino to be operational for a certain period before introducing a sportsbook.

The Illinois sports betting market is currently worth $600 odd million a month in bets, dominated by major players like FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetRivers.

But Stevens remains unfazed by the competition. He believes that different sportsbook models cater to different customer segments, and there’s ample room for growth and differentiation in the market.

“The debut of Circa Sports Illinois is a tremendous moment for our company, and we are thrilled to have worked with this great state and Full House Resorts to bring the expansion to life,” he said.

“There’s nothing like a Midwest sports fan, and we know our product matches up with what they are looking for in a betting experience.”