July 15, 2019
Inside the building of the state-of-the-art Circa sportsbook
It was 1988 when Derek Stevens, then a graduate student at the University of Michigan, rented a car and set out on a summer road trip with a buddy to Los Angeles.
Las Vegas was only supposed to be a one-night pit stop. It turned into much more.
They stayed at the Dunes, an iconic casino on the Las Vegas Strip that was well past its prime. Rooms were just 19 bucks.
Upon arrival, Stevens popped a quarter into a Sigma Derby machine, a mechanical horse racing game that was popular in casinos at the time. It was his first bet in Las Vegas.
Next, he headed to the roulette table, betting simply black or red.
