Derek Stevens teases Westgate with ‘largest’ sportsbook claim

In sports-betting parlance, both sides are going off at minus-110.

This is in reference to the thus-far friendly, yet very real, rivalry between two Las Vegas sports books. One has been around for decades — the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook.

The other exists today in renderings and as a skeletal structure: Circa Las Vegas’s World’s Largest Sports Book.

You can detect, in the respective nuanced titles, a certain measure of pride here. The Superbook has long claimed to be the largest sports book anywhere, at 30,000 square feet with an official customer capacity of 2,019 guests, including standing-room. Its newly upgraded HD-screen layout is 220 feet long, 18 feet high, and simply staggering in its scale.

“It’s a great day for Las Vegas, and a great day to hoist this last beam.” @DerekJStevens @CircaLasVegas topping-off ceremony. #Vegas #DTLV #tourism #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/pkyotn4aSx

— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) June 19, 2020

Circa Las Vegas co-owner and CEO Derek Stevens measures his fortress a little differently, at three stories high with two balconies, and a 78-million-pixel HD screen. He has said that layout is three times the 74-foot screen used at Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, which would covering a total of 222 feet.

The World’s Largest Sportsbook’s screen dimensions have not been specified, nor has the book’s total square-footage. So how does Stevens quantify his contention that Circa is the heavyweight champ of sports books?

The co-owner and adroit marking visionary called out Westgate’s leading sportsbook execs in his explanation.

“Oh, I have a lot of fun with Jay Kornegay and John Murray with all that,” Stevens said Friday morning at Circa’s topping-off ceremony in downtown Las Vegas. “There are a lot of different ways we can evaluate this. There is no question cubicly — cubicly — we’re the largest sportsbook. We have much more height here. I would say, from a cubic measure, from a measure of number of LEDs, from the amount of seating, we are the largest.

“But I look forward to having a little jocularity with those guys about who has the biggest sportsbook.”

Kornegay, who is Westgate’s SuperBook director, has not yet chased the bait. But suffice to say his team is not surrendering its SuperBook title, or position as the largest book in this or any other city.

And years ago, Westgate execs actually talked of building a balcony seating near the SuperBook’s sky-high ceiling. That would increase the SuperBook, cubicly.

No doubt, there is room for growth, structurally and spiritually, in this contest.

“Really, from a sports-betting perspective, I want the Caesars sportsbook to be a blow-out,” Stevens said. “I want Westgate’s and ours to be blow-outs, too. It enforces the fact that Las Vegas has the best sportsbooks in the world.”

What about the hang?

I asked Stevens where we might find Circa’s version of The Longbar at the D Las Vegas when the hotel opens its amenities on Oct. 28. The Longbar is the well-known hang just off the D’s entrance facing Fremont Street.

“I don’t know yet, but I’m going to let it happen organically,” Stevens said. “I have four or five places in mind.” One is a party annex at the top of the hotel tower, which is to be announced within the next few weeks.

“These things have to evolve,” Stevens said. “That’s what happened at the Longbar.”

Sew good

A book to pick up: Diana Eden’s “Stars In Their Underwear, My Unpredictable Journey From Broadway Dancer To Costume Designer For Some Of Hollywood’s Biggest Stars.” The tome was released Friday.

Eden is a former Broadway dancer who moved to Hollywood as a costume designer. Her first job was working with Ann-Margret in her show at Caesars Palace’s Circus Maximus. She assisted Bob Mackie in his work at “Jubilee” at the original MGM Grand (now Bally’s), and survived the devastating 1980 fire at the resort. She worked with Diana Ross, and designed costumes in several TV series and feature films.

Personal note: Eden was among a group assembled by the great set designer Andy Walmsley to attend the final performance of “Jubilee” in February 2015. When the great costume designer walked into that theater, you knew she was royalty. Cannot wait to learn more about Eden’s life.

Room for Vegas

Supper-club and brunch-club entertainment is back at The Vegas Room at 953 E. Sahara Ave. Suite E-18 (Look for the bright red doors). Eric Jordan Young’s headlining show Saturday night has sold out, but there are tickets available for Amanda King and Patrick Hogan’s brunch show at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Vegas Room offers a full supper-club experience, or light bites, or full brunch, depending on the day and time. The talent is huge for such an intimate venue.

Confession: I’ve not been to The Vegas Room. Promise: I’ll be there Saturday night.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.