Caesars-SuperBook Partnership Sparks Backlash from Bettors

^{The SuperContest will remain a staple of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook despite its partnership with Caesars Sportsbook. (Photo: Matty Simo / Casinos.com)}

LAS VEGAS – One of the most iconic sportsbooks in Las Vegas casino history will relinquish its independent status prior to football season, and sports bettors are not happy about it on social media.

On Tuesday, Caesars made the bombshell announcement that Caesars Sportsbook will soon operate the SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. The press release described the deal as one that "brings together the SuperBook’s storied legacy and expansive footprint with Caesars Sportsbook’s platform and market-leading sports betting menu, creating a next-generation sports wagering experience.”  

That said, bettors have reacted to the news with sadness and disappointment, knowing a brand they have trusted for decades has succumbed to a larger corporate entity and taken another key wagering option away.

Todd Fuhrman is a former oddsmaker at Caesars who left that side of the counter to become a professional bettor and industry insider. Fuhrman was among those who took to social media to voice his concerns about the partnership and what it means for bettors.

SuperBook the Latest Acquisition for Caesars

Five years ago to this day, Caesars completed its acquisition of William Hill for approximately $4 billion. At the time, Caesars CEO Tom Reeg said the company looked forward to "announcing future sports partnerships that will drive long-term growth."

Fast forward to 2026, and the “partnership” with Westgate Las Vegas (formerly the Las Vegas Hilton) certainly falls in line with Reeg’s vision. According to Fuhrman, the move is much more like an acquisition, and he expects Caesars to run it that way.

“I'm always skeptical when a national operator merges with a standalone shop -  typically, what made the smaller operation's risk management approach unique gets lost in the merger,” Fuhrman told Casinos.com. “My feeling is the SuperBook will become a satellite for Caesars, and for those of us that love to line shop in Nevada, we’ll lose a lynchpin of the industry known for off-market pricing on a lot of sports and some of the lowest theoretical holds. Generally, my take on industry consolidation is that it’s bad for the player.”

For bettors who rely on the SuperBook's independent lines opposed to major national operators, that concern is more than sentimental.

SuperContest Franchise Will Continue as Part of Plan

Many bettors immediately wondered about the future of the SuperContest after learning of the partnership. The longstanding NFL handicapping contest has been a staple of the SuperBook since Art Manteris launched it in 1989. Jay Kornegay then brought it to national prominence during his tenure from 2004 until his retirement in 2024.

The SuperContest has not been the same since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Las Vegas casinos. Attendance dropped once casinos reopened, and the contest has struggled to compete with the guaranteed prize pools offered by Circa Sports offers with its Circa Million and Circa Survivor football contests. Circa’s entry numbers have risen, while the SuperContest's have declined. 

 Caesars addressed that concern directly in the press release, stating that “the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest franchise will remain an integral part of the SuperBook experience.”

That should ease some concerns regarding the SuperContest potentially disappearing. Furthermore, Caesars' involvement could expand the SuperContest brand and increase entries after Westgate introduced college and survivor contests last year.

“The contest branding will only help Caesars as they look to get creative with an established operation rather than starting contests from scratch,” Fuhrman said. “I think a lot of us would love even bigger contests. If there’s a way to make this a national endeavor, the player wins even if a deeper talent pool of competitors makes winning that much harder.”

As for the people who helped build the SuperBook brand along with the SuperContest, their futures are uncertain. Bookmakers and oddsmakers like Jeff Sherman, John Murray, Ed Salmons, and Ray Kuhles are just a few of the key members of Kornegay’s team who have defined the SuperBook. They have not been publicly addressed in any of Caesars' announcements.

“I can only hope that the talented people behind the scenes all find a place either within the Caesars ecosystem or elsewhere in the space knowing how many years of oddsmaking and bookmaking experience,” Fuhrman said. “It’s a dying art form now, and if the experienced personnel can pass along their craft to the next generation, I think every bookmaker and bettor benefits from the Westgate coaching tree."