Betfred has at last secured a Nevada gaming license. The firm will be responsible for operating the sportsbook at the Mohegan Sun Casino within Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
The Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) has granted licensing approval shortly after a recommendation was made in an emergency meeting of the Nevada Gaming Control Board earlier in the week.
The Mohegan Sun Casino, located inside Virgin, commenced operations in March 2021, featuring a non-operational sportsbook. Although it has been broadcasting games for nearly two years, there was no operator available to accept any bets.
Joe Hassan, the General Manager of Mohegan Las Vegas, says the company aims to be up and running in time to accept Super Bowl bets on Feb. 12. This change is expected to occur sooner rather than later.
The sportsbook managed by Betfred will be staffed by Mohegan. Mohegan executives will supervise all employees. The Betfred manager will have responsibilities to both his company and Mohegan.
The Betfred sportsbook at Mohegan Sun, upon opening, will exclusively provide retail sports betting within the casino premises. A mobile sports betting app, however, will not be available from Betfred until the upcoming football season.
Similarly, the sportsbook will not have parlay cards until that particular time either. Given that parlay cards are predominantly popular during the football season, the delay is not unexpected.
At present, there are no intentions to provide parimutuel horse race betting upon launch. While this may change down the line, it’s not advisable to hold your breath. Only a handful of new sportsbooks are incorporating traditional horse race betting.
Betfred at Mohegan Sun sportsbook
Although the Betfred sportsbook at Mohegan Sun is located within Virgin, the hotel operator is not involved in the sportsbook operation.
The sportsbook at the Mohegan Sun Casino measures just under 1,300 square feet. It has capacity for roughly 100 people to view games on the video wall or one of the twelve 80-inch TVs.
To put it in perspective, this is bigger than both of the two latest retail sportsbooks that have opened in downtown Las Vegas.
Guests can also enjoy watching the games at Skybox, a sports bar and lounge. Although it’s located outside the Mohegan casino, it’s still under the same Virgin roof.
The betting counter at the sportsbook can accommodate four ticket writers. Additionally, there will be two kiosks within the sportsbook. According to Betfred, these kiosks will offer extra betting options.
It is not yet confirmed if more kiosks will be provided around the property, as seen in other Nevada casinos.
As the sportsbook launches without any mobile wagering, all bets must be placed personally or through a kiosk within the Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin.
Betfred continues to expand
Betfred operates as a lawful sportsbook in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States. Its establishment in the UK dates back to 1967 and since then, its operations have constantly been expanding. Besides Nevada, Betfred also provides legal sports betting in these states:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Virginia
- D.C., Washington
Betfred intends to expand to five more states at different times during the year.
The sportsbook operator made headlines this week by promising to pay all US bets on the Cincinnati Bengals to win the Super Bowl placed on or before Jan. 25, 2024.
“Betfred USA Sports’ Chief Operating Officer, Bryan Bennett, stated:
As a partner to the Bengals, we’ve enjoyed a unique bond with their fans throughout the season. Following the team’s impressive victory in Buffalo last week, we became convinced they are the top team in the league. Therefore, we decided to settle existing championship bets early as a sign of goodwill to our fans and customers.
A Betfred spokesperson confirmed a pre-existing partnership with the Vegas Golden Knights during a recent meeting with the NGCB. However, no further details were shared about any upcoming promotions when the company commences operations in Las Vegas.
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