Nevada: Joe Asher’s independent sportsbook crosses first hurdle

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 3:45 PM
  • Buck Wargo, CDC Gaming

Sports betting Hall of Famer Joe Asher received a recommendation from Nevada regulators Wednesday to launch an independent race and sportsbook that would begin taking bets in August in northern Nevada, the Strip corridor, and suburban Henderson, and possibly open in another 10 locations within a year.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board after an hour-long hearing gave its approval to Boomer’s Sportsbook and the application now goes to the Nevada Gaming Commission on July 23.

Asher launched Brandywine Bookmaking under the Lucky’s Race & Sports Book brand in 2007 before selling it to English bookmaker William Hill, where he became CEO of its U.S. operation in 2012. When Caesars Entertainment acquired William Hill in 2021, Asher eventually became president of sports betting at IGT, before leaving that position a year ago. Asher is a minority owner in Stockman’s Casino in Fallon.

The new operation will be located at The Commercial Casino in Elko where Brandywine has obtained that operator’s state gaming license subject to Commission approval and is leasing a portion of the property and building a sportsbook. The other sites include satellite operations at Ellis Island Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas and the Casino Valle Verde in Henderson. Both are owned by Gary Ellis, who currently has agreements with William Hill. Elko will open on August 1, followed by the two others a few days later.

Boomer’s is owned by Asher’s Delaware-based Brandywine LLC, of which he is the sole owner and manager. Boomer’s is capitalized by investors who were not named, along with Asher.

The sportsbook name originated from a top 1980s’ harness race horse from Canada named Boomer Drummond. Asher and his wife, Cynthia, had a rescue dog named Boomer who died in November.

His team includes Nick Bogdanovich who will serve as head of trading and set the lines. Bogdanovich is one of the best known bookmakers in Las Vegas, where he’s worked at Binion’s, Mandalay Bay, William Hill, and most recently Circa Sports. Other members of the former William Hill and Brandywine team are also involved with Asher.

“If we’re granted a license, Boomer’s will become the only independent sportsbook,” Asher said. “Ever since Caesars bought William Hill, every sportsbook in Nevada is controlled by a casino operator. If you own a casino and don’t want to operate your own sportsbook, there’s no independent operator to partner with. Circa and Station Casinos each operate a few sportsbooks for others, but they’re in the casino business. We think there is room in the market for an independent operator, like William Hill was before being acquired by Caesars. Someone who can partner with a sportsbook, but not a competitor to their business.”

Asher said there’s also room in the market at the business to consumer level. He noted that William Hill is the only operator in Elko and currently enjoys 100% market share.
“It will be good for customers to have an option, so they can shop the price on a game they want to bet.”

Asher said they will offer a full menu of sports wagering at the three locations and are in active discussions with other sportsbooks to operate elsewhere. Boomer’s will use IGT technology with its own customized betting app and is working with IGT on enhancements to improve the customer experience.

“For us to be successful, we have to acquire customers,” Asher said. “Because of the in-person signup requirement, there are two levels to that in Nevada. There’s the relationship to casinos to offer a retail sports book at their property. That’s the way we connect with the end user of our product. I will be spending a lot of time maintaining those relationships.”

Since Nevada is a mature market for sports betting, anyone who wants a mobile app has at least one, Asher said. They will work with casino partners to market the brand and app. There will be “an attractive sign-up offer” for people to try the sportsbook, with attractive pricing as a core component, Asher said. “We know acquiring and keeping mobile customers is critical to our success.”

There are no plans to operate in other states and have turned down opportunities elsewhere. Focusing on one state where everyone on the team lives is a positive for the business, Asher said.

The potential sale of the Las Vegas Dissemination Company is part of the larger picture that may change the horse race wagering landscape in Nevada, Asher said. Changes in state law should lower the cost structure for horse race wagering, thus allowing pari-mutuel wagering to be offered in locations that currently don’t. There are no plans, however, to offer pari-mutuel wagering when the new books open, Asher said.

Asher said they expect to have 30 to 35 employees outside of the ticket writers and front-line staff at casinos. He said he would like to have 10 locations within a year and 24 to 30 locations across the state where people can go into retail operations and sign up for mobile.

In response to Board questions, Asher said the in-person signup shapes the sports betting industry and defended its remaining in place to ensure there’s capital investments in sportsbooks and get people to go to casinos to play other games. Not having in-person signups in other states has led to a duopoly, Asher said between FanDuel and DraftKings. In addition, in-person signups lower marketing costs, Asher said. Instead of blanketing the airwaves with commercials and aggressive signup offers, acquisition costs are lower in Nevada. “I think we will be able to maintain the customer acquisition costs at a reasonable level and certainly much lower than you might see in other parts of the country.”

Board member George Assad said Asher has assembled an impressive team starting with Bogdanovich. “The concept of a new book is great for the market, great for bettors, great for Nevada, and great for the city as a whole.”

New Board Chair Mike Dreitzer said he supported the effort and that Asher and his team are a credit to the gaming industry. “I have no doubt you will be successful,” Dreitzer said.