Circa Sports Officially Opens Second Retail Sportsbook, In Illinois

Circa Sports formally christened its first retail sportsbook outside Nevada on Wednesday, with Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher making an appearance at The Temporary at American Place in Illinois.

The Waukegan location — situated between Chicago and Milwaukee — began taking wagers Friday as Circa expanded into its fourth state since launching sports wagering from its Nevada headquarters in 2019. The Illinois Gaming Board authorized Circa to begin taking bets for both retail and mobile sports wagering, making it the 13th overall location in the state to accept in-person bets when including the three off-track betting locations PointsBet has through Hawthorne Race Course. Circa also now has one of eight mobile books in the No. 2 market for betting handle in the U.S.

“I love having a retail counter because it gives people a reason to come visit,” said Circa Sports CEO and President Derek Stevens in addressing the crowd that came out to The Temporary. “When we first had a chance to meet up with [Senior Vice President] Alex [Stolyar], [President and CEO] Dan Lee, and the Full House crew, it was very apparent that we were going to make something happen and we were able to come together.

“We’re excited to work with you, we’re excited to bring these jobs to Waukegan, so thank you, and we look forward to working with you guys for a long time.”

Smaller-scale Vegas replica, no Stadium Swim

Those familiar with Circa’s sportsbook setup in Las Vegas will instantly recognize the multiple large-screen television layout that spans the width of the sportsbook space, albeit on a smaller scale in the Temporary. There are 11 self-serve kiosks and three manual ticket counters, with the odds board located behind the ticket counter.

With the physical dimensions in place, the other key parts included finding the right personnel and working in compliance with the Illinois Gaming Board. Though retail wagering accounts for only 3% of Illinois handle, Circa will be using its track record of attentive customer service to be a difference-maker in a state that has averaged more than $26.7 million monthly in-person handle this year.

“It’s about hiring the right people,” said Logan Linnehan, who works in business development at Circa and has been a key point person for activating the Waukegan location. “[Property manager] Brian Floyd has done a great job hiring this team and really just hammering home that we’re about supporting the customer. We’re very transparent about what we do here. It’s about bringing the team we have in Vegas and bringing it to life here in IIlinois.”

A Monster of the Midway on the marquee

Urlacher, whose primary residence is Arizona, struck up a friendship with Stevens a few years back and expressed a willingness to jump on board as a Circa brand ambassador for the Illinois opening.

“He said they were going to be doing stuff in Illinois and asked if I’d like to be a part of it, and I said sure,” said Urlacher, who spent his entire 13-year career with the Bears and helped them reach Super Bowl XLI in 2007. “I like betting games. It’s a good partnership, I love sports, and I love being a part of it.”

He spent Wednesday afternoon at The Temporary making a guest appearance on WSCR-670, one of Chicago’s two all-sports radio stations, discussing the Bears’ 0-4 start. He also took part in a meet-and-greet with fans later in the evening while the Major League Baseball playoffs aired across the television screens.

Last year, Urlacher raised a few eyebrows at FanDuel’s FanFest when he questioned the length of the league’s suspension of then-Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley. He maintains some of his skepticism about the NFL being partners with sportsbooks, calling it “contradictory” to an extent when the league continues to suspend players, but Urlacher also made it clear Wednesday that players “shouldn’t be able to bet on the sport, no doubt about that.”

Photos: Chris Altruda