The Westgate Las Vegas Superbook is a huge ode to sports betting, the Taj Mahal of wagering, if you will. The book was first built in 1986, and to a degree, that’s where it’s stayed.
Until right now.
“This is the first major renovation it’s had since then,” said Jay Kornegay, who runs the Superbook as vice president of race and sports for Westgate. “It’s definitely been on our minds since we came over here in 2004 (from the Imperial Palace). We knew it was in much need of a facelift.
“This is much more than that. It’s a whole new body.”
Indeed it is, thanks in no small part to Westgate Resorts CEO David Siegel, whose company bought the former LVH (and before that Las Vegas Hilton) one year ago. Shortly thereafter, Kornegay said Siegel toured the Superbook and made clear his desire that it not only remain the biggest, but also the best book in the industry.
Siegel also wasn’t afraid to get corporate’s fingers in the grease. Mark Waltrip, Westgate’s chief operating officer, has been right in the thick of the remodel.
“When you first walk the space, there’s a lot of magnitude to it,” Waltrip told Covers, as he discussed his initial tour of the monstrous 30,000-square-foot book. “But we felt it was a little disheveled, chopped up and misused. The seating was not comfortable, the TV screens weren’t good or strong.
“But every weekend, the place just packs them in, wall-to-wall. We thought, ‘If we’re getting this many people now, imagine if we gave them this incredible experience.’”
Westgate Las Vegas' rendering of the renovated Superbook.
Yet the start of that incredible experience, early this year, didn’t come with the swing of a sledgehammer. In fact, it didn’t even come from within the Superbook.
“The first thing we did is tour other sportsbooks in town, to see where the industry was,” Waltrip said, citing several shops on the Strip, including the Bellagio, the Mirage, Aria and more. “We probably toured a dozen books, just to get an idea of where they were headed. Many of them were more like a sports bar, sports casual club environment. Ours is going to be completely different.”
The concept Waltrip found most appealing: Lagasse’s Stadium, the sportsbook/restaurant/entertainment club housed inside The Palazzo. But after touring that site and several others, it still wasn’t time to start the remodel. It was time to get to know the customer base.
“There are two types of people going into sportsbooks. Obviously, we have serious bettors seeking a very specific technical experience. We also have the other group, looking for a fan experience and to bet sports,” Waltrip said. “We started interviewing our serious, longtime gamers. What kind of seating arrangement did they want? What kind of technology? What kind of chairs and TV sets? Then we did likewise with the casual gamers.
“At the end of the day, we centered in on what we want to create: not only the world’s largest sportsbook, but a stadium experience. So we decided to build the world’s largest high-definition TV. And like a stadium, the book will have the equivalent of 50-yard-line seats, boxes and less expensive seats. All the fans will be sharing the same event, but from a different perspective.”
After all that due diligence, the demo finally began in mid-June, with the plan to finish most of the renovation just before football season kicks off and have all of it wrapped up by the end of September. Kornegay said the first phase will include new screens, counters, carpet, seating areas, VIP suites and a brand new sports bar.
“That Phase 1 is going to be completed before football starts. August 30 is the target date,” he said.
A 4K LED video wall is the crown jewel of the new Superbook.
There will ultimately be a 100-foot-long bar, as well. But the centerpiece, as Waltrip alluded to, is guaranteed to be striking: a 4K LED video wall that measures a whopping 240 feet long and 18 feet high. Just how big is that?
“It will make it the largest LED wall in the world,” said Kornegay, while adding that size won’t take away from quality. “It’s sharper than HD.”
Indeed, the massive media monster has a 2.5 million megapixel display – think of the standard 1080p TV sitting in your family room, then multiply it by 2,314 – which is beyond what’s even available in content right now, though Waltrip notes “it’s where the content is headed.”
As with other books, the footprint is going to flip more toward sports betting than horse race wagering.
“It’s the changes of time,” Kornegay said. “Back when the Superbook was built, race bettors were very prominent and required additional space. Now, sports betting represents the majority of our handle. And as we all know, sports betting is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds.
“So it only makes sense to have the sportsbook cater more to the sports fan than it did 30 years ago.”
That said, race bettors will still likely flock to the Superbook. Kornegay said the renovation will bring with it a race section with an upgraded VIP area and 80 seats overall.
“That’s bigger than some entire sportsbooks,” he said, adding that race seating will be state-of-the-art, with TV screens that can provide full-screen, split-screen or quad views. “The race player hasn’t been forgotten at all. They’re going to love the upgrades. This is something they’re going to be very happy with.”
What’s interesting is that the Superbook is already getting good response on its interim setup – despite the huge walls of sheetrock from floor to ceiling, enveloping the betting counters to hide all the work going on behind. That’s a good sign that the big reveal in late August should be smashing.
“Our temporary setup has been tremendous,” Kornegay said. “A lot of regulars are saying, ‘The temporary screens are great, these are perfect.’ And I say, ‘These are just temporary.’ The overall expectations are going to be high, and we can’t wait for it to be completed and share it with the rest of the community.”
A look at the temporary setup at the Wesgate Superbook.
The Superbook has never had a problem attracting players, but there’s no doubt Kornegay and Waltrip would like to get more customers through the door and boost that handle even further. They expect the makeover, along with other renovations hotel-wide, to do just that.
“In one word, absolutely,” Kornegay said. “We certainly expect to attract new players, not just because of what we’re doing in the race and sportsbook, but other upgrades – rooms, suites, the spa, pool, even the convention area is being upgraded. David Siegel promised to touch every inch of this property and make it better. And that’s exactly what he’s doing.”
One look at the numbers from the state’s Gaming Control Board shows that the differing approaches are all working. In 2011, the total handle for Nevada books was just under $2.9 billion. In three years, it’s jumped by a whopping $1 billion, to just over $3.9 billion in 2014.
With the Superbook’s big reveal just around the corner, don’t be surprised if the state eclipses the $4 billion barrier this year. It certainly won’t surprise Waltrip, who fully expects his shop to be all the rage.
The Superbook got feedback from sharp and public bettors for the renovations.
“This is a game-changer for our property and a game-changer for the industry,” Waltrip said. “We’re going to set a very high bar for what a sportsbook should look and feel like.
“I think people are going to be blown away. It will further solidify the Superbook’s place as the premier sportsbook in the world. It’ll be like going to the Super Bowl every weekend.”
Kornegay summarized: “If you want to see the world’s largest race and sportsbook, and technologically the most advanced sportsbook in Nevada, you’re going to want to be at the Las Vegas Superbook. It’s going to be a landmark.”
