New Mexico will see its fourth sportsbook open later this summer when William Hill US and the Mescalero Apache Tribe begin operations at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort.
The Las Vegas-based sportsbook operator announced the agreement Tuesday. The casino is located three hours southeast of Albuquerque.
The location will be William Hill’s first tribal agreement outside Nevada and first venture into New Mexico. USBookmaking of Las Vegas operates sportsbooks at Santa Ana Star Casino and the Isleta Resort, both near Albuquerque, while the Buffalo Thunder in Santa Fe opened a sportsbook that is managed by National Sports Book Management (NSBM) and the South Point in Las Vegas.
New Mexico will become the eighth state where William Hill US operates legal sports betting. The company has 113 race and sportsbook locations in Nevada and three locations in New Jersey. William Hill is a licensed sports betting provider in Mississippi, West Virginia and Pennsylvania and serves as the exclusive risk manager for the sports lottery in Delaware and Rhode Island.
In a statement, William Hill said Inn of the Mountain Gods will have a sportsbook and customers will have access to the company’s mobile sports wagering application, including InPlay wagering.
William Hill US President of Retail David Grolman said the company worked with the Mescalero Apache Tribe and the National Indian Gaming Commission on the partnership agreement.
“Inn of the Mountain Gods is one of the premier resorts and casinos in the southwest and together we plan to bring a first-class experience to sports fans in the region,” he said.
William Hill said it plans to open the sportsbook prior to the start of football season and space will be renovated between the casino’s sports bar and a nightclub. The renovation will include a dozen 43-inch televisions and high-top seating. Inn of the Mountain Gods had 273 hotel rooms and 38,000-square-foot casino.
Inn of the Mountain Gods COO Frizzell Frizzell Jr., said sports betting “is something our customers have been looking forward to and we’re thrilled to be able to partner with the best in the business to bring it to them.”
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
