Boyd Gaming executives were downright giddy when they announced revenues for the fourth quarter and full year of 2018. Investors were happy with the news as well, and the stock jumped about 10 percent the next morning.
Boyd Gaming in downtown Las Vegas
The national casino operator had another great quarter and year of business in Las Vegas. The Orleans had a record fourth quarter at its three downtown Las Vegas properties — Main Street Station, Fremont, and California — continue to grow.
There was one word of caution about those downtown Las Vegas casinos. Boyd Gaming expects to see a slowdown for its downtown Las Vegas properties over the next two years. Construction of a new casino, Circa Resort & Casino, will potentially interfere with operations at the California and Main Street Station.
Despite the warning about potential disruption in downtown Las Vegas revenue, Boyd Gaming executives are looking forward to the influx of customers once construction is complete. Not only will Circa be new, but it will be different than the other casinos in downtown Las Vegas.
Circa in Las Vegas
Circa Resort & Casino is being built by developers and brothers Derek and Greg Stevens. This will be the first casino built from the ground up in downtown Las Vegas since 1980. Ironically, the Stevens brothers own the current casino in that building. The brothers also own and operate Golden Gate and The D. The latter was Fitzgerald’s casino, and that was the casino that opened in 1980.
Construction on the Circa is already getting underway and is customers should anticipate completion by December 2020. The new casino is being built on the land once occupied by the Las Vegas Club and other neighboring businesses.
The hotel and casino at Circa will be located across the street from the California. The parking garage for the Circa will be built across the street from the hotel and next door to Main Street Station. Altogether, Circa will be a massive 1.25-million-square-foot property.
New look and old attitude
Circa will bring plenty of new, modern amenities and technology to downtown Las Vegas. However, the Stevens brothers plan to keep the downtown Vegas vibe alive. Much like their other properties, Circa will keep the tradition of friendly and top-notch service.
They’ll keep Vintage Vegas alive physically as well. While the casino will feel new and modern, there will always be touches of Old Vegas nearby. The iconic kickin’ cowgirl, Vegas Vickie, will still be a feature inside of the casino. Meanwhile, the newest casino games will surround the classic sign.
Customers will see this juxtaposition of old and new throughout the Circa when it opens in late 2020.
Circa Las Vegas is not just another new casino
Many of the casino-hotels in downtown Las Vegas are in older buildings. Since everything was smaller when much of the Fremont Street area was built, so are the casinos and hotels. Circa will look different and have features that aren’t often found in downtown Las Vegas.
The massive multi-level pool deck and amphitheater will have a capacity for 4,000 people. In addition to multiple pools and cabanas, there will be a performance area and a huge 125″ TV screen. Some other unique features at the casino-resort include:
- 777 hotel rooms and suites
- Two-level casino
- Rejuvenating spa
- Garage optimized for ride sharing
- Largest outdoor bar on Fremont Street
- Multilevel sportsbook with broadcast studios
Circa will be a massive casino-resort in comparison to most of the properties in downtown Las Vegas. The main property will occupy an entire city block. The additional garage is its own entity with 1,200 parking spaces across the street from the main casino and hotel. Circa will cater to both tourists and Las Vegas residents just looking for a fun night out.
Taking sportsbooks to another level
Circa will offer traditional casino gaming on two levels. The sportsbook will add another level. Circa’s sportsbook will have the biggest screen in sportsbook history. The video screen will be three stories tall.
Two floors of the sportsbook will have stadium seating for guests. The third floor will have multiple broadcast studios. There will be another studio located on the first floor of the sportsbook.
Last year, the Stevens brothers announced a partnership with the Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN). The deal is more than a typical partnership as the Stevens brothers also own 10 percent of VSiN. This studio will be located on the first floor.
The Circa sportsbook hopes to give guests a feeling of awe like Derek Stevens had the first time he walked into the Las Vegas SuperBook at the Las Vegas Hilton (now Westgate Las Vegas).
