Inside the Westgate SuperBook with John Murray

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook isn’t just a sportsbook.

It’s a landmark.

For decades, this mecca of sports betting located inside the always bustling Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino has been the place where gigantic betting boards, legendary football contests, and the buzz of in-person wagering set the tone for the entire industry.

At the center of it all is John Murray, who walked through the SuperBook’s doors nearly 20 years ago and never left the industry. Following the semi-retirement of oddsmaker legend Jay Kornegay, Murray now acts as Vice President of Race and Sports, and he’s seen the business evolve at breakneck speed, especially after the 2018 Supreme Court decision that opened the door for nationwide sports betting.

As the post-PASPA boom brought a flood of operators into new states, the SuperBook has more than just survived. In fact, as we sat down with Murray last week under the massive 220-foot-long, 18-foot-high video wall, he mentioned confidently multiple times that the SuperBook is still the country’s premier book.

“People still know us as one of the best in the business,” Murray says. “The major renovation took place in 2015. At that time, when I was still writing tickets here, the property looked completely different. Once Mr. Siegel purchased the building and oversaw the renovation, it transformed into what I consider the best sportsbook in town.

“They did an outstanding job with the redesign, particularly with the addition of the large screens, and I believe many other casinos drew inspiration from it.”

One of the newer books in town that may have drawn inspiration is Circa Sports, which launched in 2020 with its flagship debut at Circa Resort & Casino in Downtown Las Vegas. The property boasts a three-story sportsbook and the much-hyped Stadium Swim, a multi-tiered rooftop pool amphitheater with a 143-foot screen where fans can watch games year-round.

The arrival of Circa Sports certainly reshaped the competitive landscape in Las Vegas, and Murray acknowledges its influence.

“Circa has definitely had an impact. Their philosophy is a lot like ours — player-friendly — but what’s really changed is the attention on sports betting overall,” Murray says. “(Circa Sports owner) Derek (Stevens) has made sports betting the centerpiece of his casino. I won't name anybody, but there are a lot of other companies around town that, when I started, didn't seem like they cared at all about sports betting.

“And now all of a sudden they're building these big sportsbooks, and they've got this advanced technology. Fifteen years ago, that wasn't really the case.”

As a result, Murray says, the market gets stronger and more competitive, pushing all operators — including the SuperBook — to elevate their offerings and technologies.

Once national regulations changed, the SuperBook expanded into Colorado, Arizona, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Iowa. But Murray admits the move wasn’t always financially sustainable. High operating costs, increased competition, and crowded markets made expansion a challenge.

By 2025, the SuperBook had scaled back its presence outside Nevada, concentrating efforts on its flagship Las Vegas sportsbook and selective partnerships.

“It’s a very different business model outside Nevada,” Murray explains. “The economics just don’t work everywhere. You need the right mix of market size, regulatory environment, and brand presence.”

Part of the new concentration on the Nevada market is the addition of two contests for the upcoming football season that SuperBook has added to its already-renowned menu.

Every day is a great day at @WestgateVegas ?? pic.twitter.com/CvUAKXh3Lp

— SuperBook Nevada (@SuperBookNV) April 24, 2025

SuperContest College, offers a $500 entry fee for seven weekly college football picks against the spread. The top 10 finishers earn prizes, with first place claiming 40% of the pool. Murray said there was plenty of internal debate over pricing before settling on a $500 entry fee, instead of $1,000, with the hopes of drawing more players. The contest is also the first college football contest in Nevada to allow weekly mobile submissions.

“Once we opened signups on July 1, right away people on Twitter were asking about bigger payouts,” he says. “My response was simple: let’s see how many players enter before expanding the pay table. If the turnout is strong, we’re happy to pay more spots, add in-season prizes, or make other adjustments next year. Nothing’s off the table moving forward — if the contest gets the response we’re hoping for, we’ll keep building on it in 2026 and beyond.”

Meanwhile, SuperContest Survivor has a $5,000 entry. Entries are being accepted until Saturday, September 26, at 3 p.m. PT. The contest, which has 37 entries as of 15 August, requires players to pick a single winning team each week (straight up, no spread), without repeating teams. One loss or tie and you’re out.

In addition to the two new contests, SuperBook also returns three other staples to its menu:

SuperContest: The legendary handicapping challenge carries a $1,500 entry fee (up to ten entries per person), with competitors picking five NFL games against the spread each week. This is an increase from the previous entry fee of $1,000 with the goal of increasing the prize pool. This year, there’s $575,000 guaranteed across 11 in-season contests plus a large season-long prize pool paying out to the top 20 finishers. As of 15 August, there were 257 entries.

SuperContest Gold: A high-stakes version of the original, with a $5,000 entry and a winner-take-all format, open for up to three entries per player. As of 15 August, there were 18 entries.

NFL Season Wins Challenge: Costs $200 to enter. Players select over/under win totals for all 32 NFL teams, with the top five places paid and first place receiving half the pool.

Despite all of the changes both internally at SuperBook and within the sports betting industry itself, as the 2025 football season begins, Murray and his team’s focus remains the same: serving the passionate clientele that has always defined the SuperBook’s reputation.

Along those lines, to remain competitive, Westgate offers reduced pricing (-108 NFL, -109 college football sides) all week, with select NFL games at -105 on game day.

“We’d rather get it right for our players here in Nevada and nearby than chase growth just for the sake of being in more states,” he says. “The customer service piece is still huge, but I think more and more it's moving more to who's got the best technology and the most betting options.

“It's also a lot harder because people don't have to come to Nevada to bet on sports. Now, they can legally make a bet wherever they are. So, we’ve got to be going that extra mile even more so than it used to be to get people to come out here to bet sports.

“Luckily we've got the best venue in the country.”