Longtime Nevada sports betting partners William Hill and Golden Entertainment will extend their reach to Golden’s newest properties.
The revamped arrangement announced Tuesday also would allow Golden to move sports betting into Maryland and Montana if either state legalizes it.
Neither Maryland nor Montana appears particularly close to doing so at this point, though. Neither state made major moves toward sports betting in 2018 and it appears low on the priority list for next year.
Where they already operate
William Hill and Golden Entertainment are no strangers to each other. The bookmaker operates the sports betting operation at Golden’s Pahrump Nugget Hotel & Gambling Hall just outside the Las Vegas valley.
William Hill also locates deposit kiosks in 80 Golden locations, mainly PT’s and PT’s Gold taverns throughout Southern Nevada. That number will grow by at least 20 under the terms of the deal. The kiosks are prominently located in the bars and feature William Hill branding.
According to a statement from the companies, “William Hill is expected to begin operating Golden Entertainment’s additional Nevada race and sports books by December 2018, subject to receiving required regulatory approvals.”
Exactly where that will be
That will include the Nevada sports betting operations at Stratosphere, Arizona Charlie’s Decatur and Arizona Charlie’s Boulder in Las Vegas, and Aquarius Casino Resort in Laughlin. The bookmaker also will run the operation at Edgewater and Colorado Belle in Laughlin early in 2019, as Golden is finalizing the purchase of the casinos.
Golden is based in Las Vegas and is owned by Blake Sartini. The company’s gaming operations in Montana include more than 300 locations, and it also owns Rocky Gap Casino in Maryland.
Golden operates more than 1,000 video gaming terminals between its operations in Nevada and Montana, and its pubs are ubiquitous through the Southern Nevada area.
What they’re saying about the deal
The heads of both William Hill and Golden made clear in a statement that they plan to expand sports betting beyond Nevada.
Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill US:
“Since entering the United States, William Hill has had an excellent relationship with Golden Entertainment and we look forward to continuing it for many years to come in Nevada and elsewhere as opportunities arise.”
Steve Arcana, COO of Golden:
“We are excited to expand our current relationship with William Hill, which has a proven sports wagering platform not only in Nevada but around the world. We look forward to growing our business in Nevada and other jurisdictions through this partnership.”
