A Las Vegas sportsbook veteran is taking an independent route with a new gaming venture.
Key takeaways
- Years after running William Hill sportsbooks, Joe Asher hopes to launch a new Nevada sportsbook by football season.
- Boomer’s Sportsbook will take a player-focused approach with pricing and promotions.
- Asher’s latest venture faces competition from major operators, but Elko is an untapped market.
Former William Hill CEO Joe Asher founded and is running Boomer’s Sportsbook, Nevada’s first non-casino-owned shop.
“I’m back in action,” Asher posted on LinkedIn Wednesday.
He told The Nevada Independent he hopes to launch the operation by football season. The sportsbook could get its license in July.
The main brick-and-mortar location will be at Commercial Casino in Elko, giving the area its first sportsbook. There will be satellite shops at Ellis Island Casino near the Vegas Strip and at Henderson’s Valle Verde Casino, where players can register for online sports betting.
Veteran bookmaker Nick Bogdanovich, previously an oddsmaker at Circa Sports, will head Boomer’s pricing and odds.
A different kind of book
Asher named the sportsbook after his “loyal” dog and plans to offer “Nevada-focused” sports betting across the state. Not being owned by a major casino company will let Asher run a more old-school sportsbook.
“Unlike many operators tied to casino groups, Boomer’s is a true independent operator, answering only to its customers,” the company said on its LinkedIn page. “This independence allows Boomer’s to prioritize fair pricing, compelling offers, and a player-first mindset, values that resonate with every bettor.”
Boomer’s Sportsbook says on its website it will offer a player-first mindset and “genuine rewards and bonuses” that benefit customers.
Getting back in the sports betting industry, Asher will be going up against major gaming operators like Caesars and BetMGM, as well as Circa Sports and Boyd Gaming.
Industry experience
Asher is returning to his roots nearly 20 years after operating Brandywine Bookmaking and Lucky’s Race and Sports Book, which he ran for over five years before William Hill acquired it.
Asher served as the U.K.-based company’s CEO of U.S. operations until 2021. Since departing from the operator now owned by Caesars Entertainment, Asher held the role of president of sports betting at IGT from 2021 to 2024 before President Joe Biden appointed Asher as Chairman of the Board of the Wilson Center, which he held until February.
