Boomer’s Sportsbook Set to Launch Ahead of Football Season

Boomer’s Sportsbook is gearing up to launch retail locations and a mobile app across Nevada in time for football season. The operation, led by veteran gaming executive Joe Asher, is positioning itself as the only independent sportsbook in the state.

Good to know

• Boomer’s got final approval from Nevada regulators and will open retail books in Elko, Las Vegas, and Henderson.
• Joe Asher sees no place for federally regulated prediction markets in Nevada’s betting industry.
• Boomer’s will offer a mobile app backed by IGT, with in-person sign-up required.

Nevada gaming regulators have given Boomer’s Sportsbook the go-ahead, just in time to join the action for the upcoming football season. The sportsbook, led by Joe Asher, plans to open locations at the Commercial Casino in Elko, Ellis Island in Las Vegas, and Casino Valle Verde in Henderson, starting August 1.

Asher, who previously held executive roles at William Hill U.S. and IGT, described the sportsbook as a throwback to when independent operators partnered with casinos rather than competing against them. “We think there is room in the market for an independent operator,” he told commissioners during the licensing hearing.

Boomer’s is also preparing a mobile betting app that uses IGT’s platform. As with all Nevada apps, players must register in person at one of Boomer’s retail locations before they can place bets online.

Alongside its launch plans, Boomer’s is rolling out competitive pricing and a sign-up bonus. The sportsbook has recruited an experienced team that includes Hall of Fame bookmaker Nick Bogdanovich. Asher referred to it as “the most talented team ever assembled for a venture like this in the state of Nevada.”

During the commission meeting, Asher was asked about the rise of federally regulated prediction markets. His stance was clear: he is against them. He said:

“The idea that somebody can have this hypothetical right to offer essentially unregulated gambling… is inconsistent with the longstanding policy in our country that gambling is essentially a matter that’s regulated by the states.”

Prediction markets, like Kalshi, have been in the spotlight recently due to conflicts with Nevada regulators. In March, Kalshi received a cease-and-desist order from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Despite the legal back-and-forth, Kalshi is still operating in the state.

Asher criticized the idea that prediction markets could slip around state laws under federal oversight, saying the approach would have likely “been a great surprise” to the Supreme Court justices who ruled on PASPA. That 2018 decision opened the door for sports betting legalization across the U.S.

“I’m always in favor of gambling being something that is regulated. Should be regulated at the state level,” Asher added. He said he opposes any form of unregulated gambling, including prediction markets.