Race and Sports Wagering in One App

Sports Betting Operator Interview with Bob Scucci Vice President of Race and Sports Operations for Boyd Gaming

Interview By: Bill Healey

While frequenting several of the Boyd Gaming casinos in Las Vegas in late 2021, I’d notice most of the staff wearing t-shirts promoting “Boyd Sports :: Race and Sports Wagering in One App!” The promotion would continue on the back-side stating that “this is a Game Changer” by mentioning their new features including “horse racing wagering in one App” and a “Single account wallet for sports and race wagering.”

Curious about the promotion, and the advancements made within the Boyd Sports app, I reached out to Bob Scucci, Vice President of Race & Sports Operations Boyd Gaming for a chat about the app.

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Boyd Gaming has recently released the Boyd Sports App. Can you give us some of the highlights of the App?

The most unique feature of the app is that you are able to make pari-mutuel horse racing wagers from the same digital wallet, or same account, as your sports account. This, I believe, is the first of its kind in the nation. Other operators require two separately funded accounts. But the most attractive feature in my opinion is the extensive betting menu, both pre-game as well as in-game. In fact, the in-game menu is especially impressive as you are able to bet on hundreds of propositions during the game.

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Image: Bob Scucci Vice President of Race and Sports Operations for Boyd Gaming

It would be expected that the App helps sports bettors place bets from anywhere, whether from a sportsbook, from home or elsewhere, helping mitigate the effects the pandemic had on sports betting?

For obvious reasons, many people would like to wager from home now more than ever, and certainly this app helps facilitate that. The betting menu, which includes tennis and soccer from around the world can give bettors 24/7 access to sports betting.

Which of the Boyd casinos is the App currently available in? What is the expected rollout in the other Boyd casinos?

The initial funding of the app must be done in person at any of the following Boyd Gaming Sports Books: Orleans, Gold Coast, Sam’s Town, Suncoast, Aliante, Cannery, Fremont, or California. It is available now.

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Are there geographical restrictions on use of the App?

The app itself can be downloaded anywhere by anyone with an iPhone or Android smartphone, or with an iOS or Android device, and see the betting menu anywhere in the country. To actually make wagers, however, you must be within the State of Nevada.

What sports are currently available on the App?

In addition to the major sports like football, basketball, baseball, hockey, tennis, boxing and golf, we believe we have the largest betting menu in the state, offering wagers on soccer, rugby, darts, mixed martial arts, cricket, cycling, and auto racing.

What are the plans for expanding coverage to other sports?

As I mentioned, we believe we have the largest betting menu in the state, including dozens of European soccer and tennis leagues, but if there is demand for more, we will certainly add more sports. Volleyball is one sport we are tracking to evaluate demand.

In-game wagering is a feature within the Boyd Sports App. What are a few of the more popular in-game wagering options?

The most popular in-game wager seems to be the margin of victory prop. We offer virtually every point spread on a football or basketball game DURING the game itself. So, if the Cowboys are tied 7-7 in a game where they were favored by 3 points, you can choose them to win by 3.5, 4.5, 5.5,……14.5, 15.5, etc., all the way up to as many as 30.5 in some cases, and you would get different odds depending on which point spread you choose.

How does a bettor fund their wagers within the App?

Once an account is established, bettors can fund the app using credit or debit cards, using the Sightline Payments process, or with cash at any 7-11 in Nevada using the PayNearMe function on the app, or they can simply use cash while in one of the Boyd Gaming Sports Book locations. Initial deposit, however, as indicated earlier must be done in person.

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How quick are the winnings posted back to the bettor’s account?

Once all the scores are officially verified by the Leagues or sanctioned organizations, in most cases immediately following the ending of the games. Some proposition betting, such as “number of sacks” in a football, may take a few minutes longer as leagues review official statistics before publishing “official results.”

Do the bettors earn points through Boyd’s BConnected account?

Bettors do earn BConnected points for their sports play. The more teams in their parlays and the higher the odds of the payouts, the more BConnected points a player earns. So, for example, a bettor making a $10 parlay with 5 teams will earn more points than a bettor who simply bets $10 straight on one team to win. Additionally, horse bettors earn comp dollars for the pari-mutuel wagers.

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Where would bettors download the app?

Anywhere in the world you have data or WiFi.

Can you give us a bit on your background? What is your position with Boyd Gaming, and how did your experience lead you here?

I have been with Boyd Gaming for more than 30 years, at various properties but always in the sports books. I am Vice President of Race and Sports Operations for Boyd Gaming.

I gained invaluable experience during the 15 years I spent at the famous Stardust Hotel and Casino Sports Book. It was not only where I refined my skills as an odds-maker and bookmaker/trader, but it was also where I began integrating technology with bookmaking theory. The start of my career coincided with the internet’s takeover of global communications, so early on my colleagues and I saw limitless potential in technology and sports betting. We went from account wagering using live phone tellers in the ‘90’s, to crude automated systems using phone keypads for wagering in the 2000’s, to eventually using cellular data and WiFi.

We launched our first mobile sports app in 2012 and a year later were the first Nevada operator to offer a pari-mutuel horse racing mobile app.

Sports Betting Operator Magazine would like to thank Bob Scucci for his time discussing the Boyd Sports app and the promotion of it’s new features.

*** This exclusive interview was originally published in March 2022 in Sports Betting Operator Magazine***