Betfred USA Sports, the American subsidiary of United Kingdom-based Betfred Group, landed its first Nevada sportsbook opportunity Tuesday.
The company will manage sports betting inside Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, the off-Strip resort that is expected to open later this year. Betfred, which has sports betting operations in Colorado, Iowa, and Pennsylvania, had targeted Nevada since the U.S. subsidiary launched in 2019.
Betfred USA Chief Operating Officer Bryan Bennett said the company has been in talks with Mohegan Gaming, the casino arm of Connecticut’s Mohegan Indian Tribe, to become their sportsbook operator in Las Vegas, since earlier this year.
“There is so much opportunity in Nevada,” Bennett said. “A location like this property, just off the Strip, allows us to announce our presence to a great market. Variety is always good, and this won’t be our last location here.”
He said Betfred’s Nevada gaming license application is already in progress.
Last fall, Mohegan Gaming announced a deal to operate the 60,000 square-foot casino for Miami-based Virgin Hotels, becoming the first tribal gaming company to manage a resort in the nation’s largest commercial gambling market.
The property, formerly known as the Hard Rock Las Vegas, closed in February for a renovation that is expected to be completed later this year. On Monday, Mohegan announced that longtime gaming executive Joe Hasson would be the general manager of the casino.
“It’s a small casino and we’ll have a small portion of it, but our book will stand out,” Bennett said.
Betfred is also planning to offer a mobile gaming platform for the casino. The sportsbook will include luxury seating, a state-of-the-art video wall, and over-the-counter wagering, as well as self-serve kiosks.
“Our affiliation will introduce new and attractive competition to the Las Vegas market,” Mohegan Gaming Vice President of Interactive Aviram Alroy said in a statement. “Betfred will create a seamless and best-in-class experience on our gaming floor, which will cater to both domestic and international visitors.”
Mohegan Gaming will manage casino and will also have access to the 1,500-room Virgin-branded hotel, restaurants, and other non-gaming amenities.
Betfred is currently operating retail and mobile sports betting at the Grand Falls Casino in northern Iowa and at the Saratoga Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado. The company is the process of launching retail and mobile gaming at Win Creek Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Betfred recently became a sportsbook sponsor of the NFL’s Denver Broncos.
The Las Vegas location, however, is the reason Betfred Group established its U.S. subsidiary.
“This is a tremendous partnership with Mohegan and Virgin,” Bennett said.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
