Carrot Top bets on Raiders to open Cosmo sportsbook

Carrot Top isn’t much of a sports bettor, but the longtime MGM Resorts headliner threw some of his dollars down Monday to officially open the rebranded BetMGM sportsbook at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The comedian, who performs at the Luxor six nights a week, bet $50 on the Las Vegas Raiders to win the Super Bowl at 40-1 odds, a wager that could be worth $2,000.

“I’ve lived here almost 27 years, and I don’t really bet much,” he said. “That’s probably a good thing. But I love the energy and the action. I love watching the games.”

MGM Resorts International acquired the operations of the Cosmopolitan earlier this year for $1.63 billion. Anton Nikodemus, now president and chief operating officer of the Cosmopolitan, Aria and Vdara, said MGM Resorts isn’t looking to change much at what it believes to be a crown jewel property on the Strip.

“It’s really our first opportunity with the integration to bring in a part of MGM to the Cosmopolitan,” he said. “We’re obviously taking it very slow, ensuring that it’s really an enhancement to the property overall.”

One simple move was to bring the Cosmopolitan sportsbook under the BetMGM umbrella after being operated by William Hill under previous ownership. The sportsbook has been open since the ownership change, but it now has BetMGM signage and kiosks and is fully integrated with the MGM Rewards program.

The transition at the Cosmopolitan means BetMGM controls the entire southwest end of the Strip from Bellagio to Mandalay Bay.

Jason Scott, vice president of trading for BetMGM, said the Cosmopolitan was “a great addition to our stable.” Over the weekend, the Cosmopolitan ranked No. 3 among BetMGM properties in Las Vegas for tickets written and money handled, trailing only the Aria and MGM Grand, he said.

Chris Gumiela, vice president of BetMGM marketing for MGM Resorts, said customers will enjoy the accessibility of the Cosmopolitan sportsbook.

“It’s right off the casino floor,” he said. “It’s right on the Strip, so you can come in and you can make a bet. It’s really a great location, and we’re really happy to have the BetMGM brand on the sportsbook now.”

Also Monday, BetMGM announced a multiyear, expanded partnership with the sports betting content company SportsGrid. Members of BetMGM’s trading team will offer their insights on SportsGrid broadcasts, and SportsGrid analyst Warren Sharp will deliver reports from MGM Resorts properties.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.