Casino City reviews Nevada sportsbook apps

4 April 2016

By Gary Trask

One prominent sportsbook director, Jay Kornegay at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino called it a "game-changer." A longtime professional sports bettor – "Teddy Covers" – referred to it as a "life changer."

And after getting to personally use this new wave of technology in Las Vegas during the busiest two days of the sports-betting calendar last month, I second the above notions. If you are in the state of Nevada and plan on betting on sports, there is no excuse. Take the time to open a mobile sportsbook account – or four of them, as I did – and you'll save time, money and exasperation.

But, be warned. The initial process does take some effort and patience. Below is a breakdown of each one, as well as information on locations, sign-up bonuses and more, which will help you maneuver through the situation more easily but in the end make your next Las Vegas sport-betting venture a more pleasurable one – even if you don't hit that three-team parlay.

CG Technology

Locations:Previously known as Cantor Gaming, CG Technology operates nine books in Nevada, including The Venetian Las Vegas, The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, The Palms Casino Resort, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Lagasse's Stadium, M Resort, Silverton Casino Lodge Las Vegas, Tropicana Las Vegas.

Available downloads: iTunes and Android

Sign-up process: Make sure you have a player's card at the casino where you are opening the account BEFORE you sign up for the sportsbook mobile app. I found this out the hard way. After waiting in line for about 15 minutes, the first thing the person at the sportsbook counter asked me was if I had a Club Palms card, which, of course, I did not. So, I had to get out of line, walk down the hall and get the Club Palms card, taking about 15 minutes. Once back at the sportsbook, the actual process took about 10 minutes. I filled out a form with some personal info, gave them my cash and I was on my way. Another word of advice regarding the CG Technology app is to remember that you can only withdraw from your account at the same book in which you deposited. So, for instance, I could not have emptied out my account before leaving town at one of the Strip properties. I needed to go back to Palms. There is a $20 minimum deposit, and the minimum wager amount is $2 for race and $5 for sports.

Sign-up perks: CG Technology offers a deposit bonus of up to $50 at most properties, meaning if you deposit less than $50 you will get an exact match, but if you deposit $50 or more you receive a $50 match.

The skinny: The app interface has a nice design, and CG Technology books always have a great menu, including in-running options. CG Technology's Chief Operating Office Parikshat Khanna told us that an upgrade for the app has already been submitted for approval and is expected to be rolled out in May or June. A main improvement will concern in-running wagering, but Khanna could not specify exactly what those enhancements would include. Stay tuned.

William Hill

Locations: William Hill has 105 locations in Nevada where you can sign up for a new account, some of which are self-serve kiosks. It also has more than 350 locations available to make deposits, including the 47 PT's pubs and taverns and more than 200 7-Eleven convenience stores. William Hill will also come to your home or office and sign you up in person if you are making a deposit of $500 or more. William Hill sportsbooks in Las Vegas include Hooters Casino Hotel, SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, The D Las Vegas, Casino Royal, Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel and Downtown Grand Las Vegas.

Available downloads: iTunes and Android

Sign-up process: This is as easy as it gets. I used one of the kiosks and all I needed to do was insert my license, pose for a picture, punch in some personal information and insert my cash. Within no more than five minutes I was placing bets, and I didn't need to speak with a live person. There is no minimum deposit, and the minimum wager amount is $2.

Sign-up perks: “In the Bonus” is the current new sign-up promotion and offers new account holders a 10% deposit bonus on their initial deposit. The bonus ranges from $5 for a $50 first deposit, up to $50 for a $500 or greater first deposit. Within 90 days of signing up for the account, if the new customer makes a total amount of wagers equal to their initial deposit – the bonus is then added directly to their account, which can be used to wager, or withdrawn as cash. You will receive an e-mail when your account is credited.

William Hill also offers three promotional periods a year where patrons can earn Cash Back for betting on the app: Spring Rewards (January-April), Summer Rewards (May-July) and Fall Rewards (August-December). Once enrolled, you receive one Spring Reward Point for every $1 of mobile sports wagers, two points for parlays and teasers, and five points for parlay cards placed through the app during the promotion.

The skinny: This was my favorite app to use, not only because it was the cleanest and easiest to maneuver, but also because William Hill offers the only continuous live, in-play wagering in Nevada. This means the odds change as the game goes along, as opposed to other sportsbook apps, which typically only offer in-play bets during breaks in the game. The only minor quirk was that the William Hill app was not functional when my phone was charging.

Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino

Locations: Account set-up, deposits and withdrawals must be done at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino SuperBook.

Available downloads: iTunes and Android

Sign-up process: Learning from my mistake at Palms the night before, I made sure to get a player's club card before signing up for the sportsbook account. In addition to the type of forms I needed to fill out at the others, Westgate also required me to file a W-7 tax form. Other than this extra paperwork, the entire process took about 15 minutes – which is more than reasonable, since this was the morning of the first day of March Madness. There is a $100 minimum deposit.

Sign-up perks: None. But make sure you at least ask for drink tickets. I got four of them, but would have received zilch if I didn't make the request.

The skinny: The only complaint I had with this app is that you have to shut off the Wi-Fi function on your phone to use it. Other than that, it's a great benefit for a sports bettor to be able to have the most comprehensive prop menu in Las Vegas available at your fingertips.

Boyd Gaming

Locations: The California Hotel & Casino, Fremont Hotel & Casino, Gold Coast Hotel & Casino, The Orleans, Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, Suncoast Hotel & Casino

Available downloads: iTunes and Android

Sign-up process: I went to the Gold Coast and although there was only one person in front of me in line, this was the longest process of the four accounts I set up, taking close to 20 minutes. Like Westgate, a W-7 form was necessary, and the sportsbook director had to manually enter my info into the computer. You'll also need a B-Connected player's card. There is a $100 deposit minimum and a $2 minimum wager.

Sign-up perks: Initial deposits of $500 or more receive a $50 food credit at any Boyd Gaming property.

The skinny: Very similar to the Westgate app, except Boyd Gaming doesn't offer nearly the number of different parlay, teaser and future options as the others.

Casino City reviews Nevada sportsbook apps is republished from Online.CasinoCity.com.