Circa Sports is taking a thoughtful and strategic approach to expanding into new states, with an unexpected eye on California. In a recent interview with The Las Vegas Review-Journal, Circa Sports co-founder and CEO Derek Stevens expressed keen interest in operating a retail sportsbook in California, contingent on the state approving sports wagering with an in-person registration requirement. This registration model, already implemented in Nevada, requires bettors to visit casinos to create mobile accounts, a stipulation that experts believe might be hindering sports betting revenue in the state.
Stevens noted that adopting a similar model in California could potentially create significant job opportunities and drive large-scale investments. Currently, Circa Sports is operational in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, and Nevada. If Circa Sports manages to establish a presence in California, it would likely be through a partnership with a tribal gaming entity, given that Native American tribes control the state’s casinos and hold exclusive gaming compacts with the state.
At the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas earlier this week, California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) Chairman James Siva suggested that sports betting might make it onto the 2026 ballot, though 2028 seems more probable. He mentioned that tribes are considering sports betting as a potential precursor to iGaming.
While Stevens did not detail how Circa Sports would collaborate with tribal operators in California, such a partnership would be essential. Circa enjoys decent brand recognition in California and, importantly, was not involved with the commercial operators that proposed a 2022 sports betting ballot initiative, which the tribal gaming groups strongly opposed and defeated. This history may work in Circa’s favor as it looks to build relationships with the tribes.
Circa Sports is also focused on bringing its technology stack in-house, a process Stevens acknowledged is taking longer than anticipated. He projected it could take another year to finalize this effort, after which the company would consider entering new states. While Stevens did not specify which states Circa Sports might target next, he reiterated that New York isn’t appealing due to its sports wagering tax structure. States like Arizona, with favorable taxes, and Michigan, Stevens’ home state, could be potential candidates for Circa’s expansion, although the company has not commented on these possibilities.