Retail sportsbooks were once regarded as a destination, particularly in Las Vegas, where bigger was better. But with the advent of digital sports betting, the allure of multiple screens and stadium seating has dimmed, according to industry leaders.
Convenience Trumps Destination
The Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas was held earlier this week, and it was an eye-opening experience for those who believed that a brick-and-mortar sportsbook is an important driver in attracting people to a casino with the hope of having them invest in the slot machines before or after placing their bets.
However, that paradigm has shifted as many people have access to mobile betting in the palm of their hands and don’t need to stand in line to place a bet. Although sportsbooks can bring a palpable energy and sense of communion with fellow bettors, mobile betting has become so prevalent and so convenient that the novelty is no longer as compelling, according to industry leaders.
“There is less need for the sportsbook and more need for distribution,” said Caesars Digital SVP Dan Shapiro during a panel at the Global Gaming Expo conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Monday.
By distribution Shapiro is referring to adding kiosks throughout the property that will allow bettors to make a bet at their convenience without taking the time to seek out the sportsbook and contend with the crowds. Kiosks provide a more immediate experience, allowing customers to place their wagers and move on with their day, whether that means going to the casino, seeing a show, or visiting a bar or restaurant.
Betting on Change
Gaming companies all across the nation are deemphasizing the need to refurbish and expand their retail sportsbooks. Apart from some of the sportsbook meccas like SuperBook inside the Westgate Casino, home of the biggest NFL handicapping contest in the country and boasting a 220-foot-long video screen, many retail books are either being pared down or eliminated entirely.
“The sportsbook is going to continue to get smaller, and sports betting is going to be spread more throughout the property,” Shapiro said.
Suffice it to say, retail sportsbooks are becoming more transactional, much like a bank, than they are an event unto themselves, which is why we are seeing gaming companies alter their strategy and their floorplans.
Penn Rebrands Sportsbooks
Penn Entertainment was one gaming company that jumped at the chance to add sportsbooks to its casinos once sports betting legislation was passed in the states where it operates those facilities. But now that it has morphed from Barstool Sportsbook to ESPN BET, courtesy of a 10-year lease with the sports media giant for $1.5 billion, the retail books must be branded as such.
However, in its home state of Pennsylvania, the four sportsbooks Penn operates, including Penn National Race Course, The Meadows, York, and Morgantown, were curiously not on the schedule for a rebrand. Those sportsbooks that were slated for a rebrand and expected to be completed by the end of September are:
- Hollywood Kansas Speedway (KS)
- L’Auberge Baton Rouge (LA)
- Plainridge Park Casino (MA)
- Hollywood Columbus (OH)
- Hollywood Perryville (MD)
- Hollywood Toledo (OH)
- L’Auberge Lake Charles (LA)
- Margaritaville Bossier City (LA)
The very first branded ESPN BET retail sportsbook opened at PENN’s Hollywood Casino at Greektown in Detroit in April.
