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Sportsbooks Getting Creative with Drive-Thrus in Nevada

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 10 May 2020

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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The lockdown and closure of brick-and-mortar casinos due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge negative impact on the sports betting and gaming industries.

While sports events have ground to a halt since March as a result of the pandemic, sportsbooks have been unable to take on new customers for future events because they have to visit a casino in person to establish their new accounts.

However, some sportsbooks are not letting this hold them back any longer, with several getting creative in Las Vegas. Last week, William Hill US announced drive-thru signup facilities in several locations in Nevada. It seems that this has now become a growing trend, with another two sportsbooks setting up similar facilities last week.

In addition to William Hill US, last week saw the South Point open a drive-thru facility in its valet parking area. Circa Sports followed suit a couple of days later, with its drive-thru sports betting facility set up in the Golden Gate valet area.

Giving Sports Fans the Chance to Set Up Accounts

While bettors cannot bet on mainstream sports until the lockdown on sports events ends, there is still a limited number of sports and activities that they can wager on. Many established their sportsbook accounts via drive-thru facilities last week in the run-up to the UFC 249 event.

The state’s gaming regulations require mobile sports bettors to provide ID and create an account in person, which would normally be done at brick-and-mortar venues. However, with venues still closed in Nevada, these drive-thru facilities are providing a convenient alternative.

Earlier in the week, cars were queuing up at South Point, with masked employees on hand to help open accounts or fund existing ones. Staff also provided visitors with sterilized clipboards to ensure they could complete documents and forms safely.

Customers Eager to Start Betting

The South Point sportsbook director, Chris Andrews, said that he was excited to be able to turn the sportsbook app back on, as it had been off since casinos across the state closed in March. He added that odds were now being posted on NASCAR and the NFL, among others.

Andrews also said that customers were keen to start enjoying sports betting again despite the change in their financial circumstances. He said:

“$100 bettors might turn into $20 bettors. That’s fine. We’re all in the same boat. It’s not like money’s pouring in.”

The sports betting app for Circa Sports has remained open throughout the lockdown. However, due to regulations in the state, the sportsbook has not been able to open any new accounts. The drive-thru facility will now change this, making it possible for bettors to come and create their accounts.

A Convenient Temporary Solution

While Nevada is already in the process of opening some businesses as part of its initial reopening phase, casinos will not be included within this initial phase. This means that sportsbooks may have to wait a while longer before sports fans can visit casinos to create their accounts.

Many believe that the drive-thru facilities provide a convenient temporary solution that will benefit both sports fans and the sportsbooks concerned.