Boomer’s Sportsbook is set to enter the Reno market through a pending agreement to take over sportsbook operations at Bonanza Casino, marking a key step in the company’s statewide expansion. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has recommended approval of the proposal, with the Nevada Gaming Commission scheduled to consider the deal at its meeting on Thursday, January 29.
The move would mark the first Boomer’s location in Reno, a market the company has long targeted.
“When you have a business like ours that we’ve built to be able to service the statewide network, but you have no … reach into Reno, you’re just hyper focused on, ‘We’ve got to get there, we’ve got to get there, we’ve got to get there,’” said Boomer’s CEO Joe Asher in a Reno Gazette Journal report. “To finally be able to get into the market, it’s hard for me to even convey how significant it is.”
Launched in 2025, Boomer’s Sportsbook has established operations in several Nevada cities, including Las Vegas, Henderson, Elko, and Carson City, where it opened its first site in September inside Casino Fandango. The company is also preparing to open a Tonopah location in early February. Asher said Boomer’s aims to operate 12 sportsbooks across the state by the end of the second quarter.
While the Bonanza deal would strengthen Boomer’s northern presence, it also places the company in direct competition with major players, including William Hill. William Hill expanded aggressively in Nevada through acquisitions such as Leroy’s, Brandywine Bookmaking, and CG Technology. Asher, who founded Brandywine in 2008, served as William Hill U.S. CEO from 2012 to 2021 before leaving to join IGT.
Bonanza Casino’s current sportsbook agreement with William Hill was negotiated by both Asher and Bonanza General Manager Ryan Sheltra. “For my last two (sportsbook) contracts, ironically, between William Hill and the Bonanza, the signatures on those contracts were from me for the Bonanza and Joe Asher for William Hill,” Sheltra said.
“Caesars is a fine company, but when I was in talks with Caesars and Boomers, it really came down to finding the right fit. And Joe’s operation and what he’s doing is very similar to us as far as culture,” Sheltra said. “We matter to Joe.”
Sheltra noted that Boomer’s lower margins on odds and promotional offers have already affected local competition. For instance, Boomer’s offers NFL betting at 105 pricing instead of the standard 110, reducing bettor losses over time.
It also matches customer deposits up to $250 in free bets, a figure that competitors such as William Hill have since matched. Bonanza plans to add another $50 on top of Boomer’s base offer.
Asher stated the company’s Nevada-first approach. “Every single employee lives in Nevada,” he said. “Every sportsbook that we have and that we intend to open are going to be in Nevada, so we want to build out a statewide network.”
Future plans include expanding further in the Reno-Sparks area, where Asher said Boomer’s intends to “make a big push.”
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/01/29/117335-nevada-boomers-sportsbook-moves-toward-reno-entry-with-bonanza-casino-deal
