A&E

All The Vegas Podcast: Downtown casino chief Derek Stevens

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Derek Stevens has big plans for Circa Las Vegas and talks all about them on this episode of All The Vegas.
Photo: Wade Vandervort

It’s not surprising to discover that Derek Stevens, the casino boss known to lay down big money on NCAA basketball tournament games and host rowdy football and hockey watch parties at his outdoor Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, has shaped his Vegas experience around sports from the very beginning. Even before he invested in the Golden Gate in 2006, he made many trips to the desert from his native Michigan and watching and betting on sports were the No. 1 draw.

“I’d been coming to Vegas for 20 years or so, sometimes for work and sometimes for pleasure, but when I’d come out with my buddies it was generally orientated around a sporting event,” Stevens says on the new episode of All The Vegas. “We were big fight fans and then we got into the mode where we started coming out for every Super Bowl, then later, for March Madness. I tried to get out to Vegas as often as we could and fortunately there was always a good reason to.”

We also talk with Derek about his brand-new Circa Sports book and sports wagering app; how the Super Bowl has become a holiday in Las Vegas; how the NFL will affect Las Vegas in ways big and small; how renovating the Golden Gate sparked the concept for Circa Las Vegas, which is set to open in December 2020; and what it’s like to design “the greatest pool in the history of America.”

EPISODE 28: THE VEGAS YOU NEED

Derek’s favorite spot for Italian takeout is North Italia in the Summerlin area.

Mark is digging the new stand-up spot on the Strip, Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club.

Brock is ready for some summer lounging at the Downtown Container Park at cozy wine bar Bin 702.

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