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Sportsbooks are the new hot item in casinos , so how do you design a sportsbook that competes , but also complements your app ?
>> By Dave Bontempo
There are places in the United States where one can judge a book by its cover . And its parlays , teases , odds boosts and bonuses that eliminate the vig .
Welcome to the sports-betting surge , a sizzling commodity encompassing roughly half the country . States race to legalize and prioritize this market niche , mimicking the sprawling surge of gaming itself 30 years ago .
The books themselves are not colossal profit centers . But the combined effect of books with bars , gamblers with apps and big-screen sports glorification creates an industry winner . A venue can be tailored to its gambling audience . Big wagers can originate from a small geographic area or a massive open-air room . Operators consider the upside limitless and the downside limited . Casino
Style canvassed leading designers and architects regarding the impact of sports betting on their projects .
Planning for the Mobile Entry
“ As the industry continues to embrace the activity in creative ways other than just betting online , we ’ ll see some very innovative applications at casinos ,” says HBG Design principal Dike Bacon . “ Who knows ? A new-generation sports betting customer could be a new customer that the casino doesn ’ t currently have .”
Bacon believes the package of mobile and brick-and-mortar components can be lucrative for operators .
“ Many industry observers think another 15-20 states may pass legislation in 2021 , so it ’ s clearly a rapidly emerging national trend to be capitalized upon ,” he says . “ What Penn National , Rush Street , and a number of Indian gaming tribes are doing are diverse examples .
“ If mobile sports betting is allowed , how can casinos take advantage beyond a traditional sportsbook area ? Mobile sports betting at a brickand-mortar facility has the potential to be a social or party-type event ( post-Covid , of course ) which could be a great opportunity to drive revenue across a lot of other amenity platforms .”
There can be great opportunities to connect land-based premises with online accounts and be able to directly interact with the casino and the various amenities those facilities offer , Bacon asserts . This could create an entertainment experience that is beyond just one physical area like the sportsbooks of old . It could become facility-wide .
“ As an example , on-site betting could drive higher-profit F & B sales
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