There are times that Jay Kornegay has to pinch himself.
He is actually operating the SuperBook in his home state.
To say it’s special for Kornegay is a mild understatement. But the executive vice president of operations at the Westgate SuperBook said it’s why they’ve put their heart and soul into this first venture outside of Nevada. He said they want to ensure that it’s everything that Colorado sports fans (and bettors) expect.
Now comes another first for Kornegay and the sportsbook.
The retail SuperBook is set to launch on June 25 at the Lodge Casino in Black Hawk. That means Colorado is about to get an actual Las Vegas-style sportsbook.
The SuperBook sports betting app launched in late December.
As Kornegay said to PlayColorado on Wednesday:
“Just looking back at my career coming from Colorado to Nevada, for decades we never thought that sports gambling was going to expand to other states. For us to have this opportunity to open up a SuperBook in Colorado, to this day, is just mind-blowing to me. We feel very fortunate to have this opportunity. And we look forward to serving Colorado sports fans for decades to come.”
SuperBook retail sportsbook ribbon-cutting ceremony
In terms of the retail sportsbook launch, Kornegay said there is a ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for noon on June 25. The SuperBook will also give away swag and there are celebrity appearances in the works.
The details are still being ironed out, but Kornegay said he’s pretty sure Mark Schlereth will be there and they’re also trying to get the mayor of Black Hawk. Schlereth is the former Denver Broncos offensive lineman who is now a current football analyst for Fox and co-host of a morning radio show in Denver.
If you go the launch, masks are not required, though they are recommended for those who aren’t fully vaccinated.
“It’s actually going to be pretty nice,” Kornegay said. “Obviously, it’s not as big as what we have here in Las Vegas. What we try to do with the SuperBook is give the 360-degree experience. It’s about being in a terrific sports atmosphere. Showing all of the games. Terrific food and beverage options. It’s about creating an atmosphere that people enjoy being in, and that’s what we’ve done in the Lodge.”
Planning for the retail shop halted by COVID-19
The planning for the SuperBook retail shop has been going on for over a year. Obviously COVID-19 threw a wrench into all of this and halted a lot of the progress they were making.
But once the plan was agreed to, it came together pretty quickly. Kornegay said they only broke ground a little over three months ago.
“The Lodge is a terrific partner,” Kornegay said. “They’ve just been great to work with and very flexible. They’ve been very open-minded and gave us a few different options for the sportsbook on their property.”
What Colorado sports bettors can expect from the new SuperBook
As for the location of the sportsbook, it’s on the second floor of the Lodge Casino adjacent to the buffet and steakhouse. It’s right by the atrium of their second-floor gaming area.
“So the atrium will be on one side of the room and the other side will be the SuperBook,” Kornegay said.
Amenties
As for what to expect inside the SuperBook:
- 28 TV screens
- Full fledged sports bar with eight poker machines
- Three betting windows
- Starting off with five betting kiosks
- Food and beverage options
- Charging stations that are connected to bar rails with foot rests
- 28 large lounge chairs that have a table and cup holder, with each being specially made
- Full capacity is a couple hundred. That includes the viewing area, the sportsbook and the area in between
In terms of the lounge chairs, Kornegay said those won’t be delivered until the end of July. So they won’t be on the floor right away. In the meantime, there is some temporary seating to handle the first couple of weeks.
As for the charging stations along the bar rails, Kornegay said some people don’t like to sit down when they’re in the sportsbook. So the bar rails are a comfortable alternative. He added that they’re incredibly popular at the SuperBook in Las Vegas.
“One of the reasons why we picked that space was to be closer to those kitchens, so on those bigger days, they would have those food delivery options,” Kornegay said.
Colorado has lived up to sports betting expectations
Now that the SuperBook is about to add its first retail outlet outside of Nevada, Kornegay said the venture into Colorado is exactly what they expected. The state is filled with loyal sports fans, and not just loyalty for the Colorado teams, but to sports in general. Even for a Colorado native, he said that’s astounding to see.
He also said that’s starting to show up when it comes to sports betting in Colorado.
“I think they have really educated themselves over the last year in the sports betting space,” Kornegay said. “We couldn’t be happier with our results.”
If you go to the launch of the SuperBook retail sportsbook at the Lodge, you’ll have to forgive Kornegay if he’s pinching himself.
