Cynthia L. Herzog 
SPARKS, Nev. (AP) — The operator of the world’s largest sports betting site in Las Vegas is expanding into northern Nevada this year as part of a collaboration with what will be the first new casino built in Reno -Sparks for over a quarter of a century.
Circa Sports has reached an agreement with Legends Bay casino owner Olympia Gaming to operate a sports betting site on the property being built just east of Reno, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.
In addition to sports betting, the 80,000 square foot (7,432 square meter) casino offers table games, slots, video poker, and several restaurants. It is slated to open this summer at the Legends at Sparks Marina, along Interstate 80.
“We are thrilled to partner with Olympia Gaming to introduce our brand to a new part of the state,” said Derek Stevens, CEO of Circa Sports. “We look forward to bringing incredible sports betting to the property.”
Circa Sports launched in 2019 at Stevens’ Golden Gate Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Since then, the company has expanded its presence in five southern Nevada casinos while providing mobile betting services in Colorado and Iowa. His bookmaker at Stevens’ Circa Resort & Casino, which opened in 2020, is billed as the biggest bookmaker in the world.
Stevens said the new partnership with Olympia at Sparks is the “icing on the cake.”
“Legends Bay is the first land-based casino in the Reno-Sparks area to be built in over 30 years,” Stevens told the Gazette Journal. “So we loved the opportunity to set up our first Northern Nevada Circa Sports retail store in this…property.”
Legends Bay Casino marks the culmination of a journey that began in 2007 for Olympia. Originally envisioned as a hotel-casino, the project has seen several starts and stops thanks to unexpected economic headwinds.
The first was the Great Recession of 2008, which particularly affected the real estate and construction industry of Reno-Sparks. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered a statewide lockdown in Nevada.
Following the 2008 recession, the hotel-casino concept was abandoned in favor of a phased approach. The first phase included the construction of two hotels, a 102-room Hampton Inn & Suites and a 104-room Residence Inn by Marriott. Both projects started in 2017 and have since opened.
The next phase is the Legends Bay Casino itself, which started in 2021.
“We originally began planning in 2007, so seeing the designs and concepts morph, evolve and move from paper to reality is a great achievement for the entire team involved in the project,” said DeCourcy Graham, Director of the operation of Olympia Gaming.
RED Development, which developed The Outlets at Legends, expects to see increased business in the outdoor mall’s movie theater, stores and restaurants, said Scott Rehorn, its leasing managing partner.
“Shopping malls with casinos experience an immediate and continuous increase in sales, tenant retention and tourist traffic,” he said.
CEO Garry Goett, who is also president of Olympia Companies, believes the addition of Circa will make Legends Bay Casino a premier sports betting destination in Northern Nevada.
“It gives us a one-of-a-kind sports betting offering,” Goett said.
