British bookmaking giant, William Hill, has via its U.S. subsidiary, taken over Golden Entertainment Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GDEN) Nevada race and sports book operations.

According to a press release…

On February 13, 2019, William Hill U.S. began operating the Las Vegas-based company’s sportsbooks at its Aquarius Casino Resort in Laughlin, Arizona Charlie’s Boulder in Las Vegas and Arizona Charlie’s Decatur. Also included is the under-construction sportsbook at the former Stratosphere, The STRAT, which is expected to open toward the latter part of March.

Extension of existing agreement:

The two already had an agreement in place, which saw the global sportsbook managing the Pahrump Nugget‘s sportsbook, in addition to offering full-service kiosks at the Gold Town Casino and Lakeside Casino & RV Park in the unincorporated town in Nye County. While extending that agreement, throughout the Silver State, William Hill also has depositing kiosks at some 80 taverns owned by Golden Entertainment, as well as in third-party-distributed gaming locations statewide.

Marnell Gaming acquisition:

Sports gambling operations at both the Colorado Belle Hotel and Casino Resort and at the Edgewater Hotel and Casino Resort, acquired by Golden Entertainment in July 2018 from Marnell Gaming, will also reportedly continue to be run by William Hill.

Chief Executive Officer for William Hill U.S., Joe Asher, said…

“The addition of the four new casino resorts marks an exciting new chapter in our relationship with Golden Entertainment. We look forward to working together to offer sports fans an amazing experience for many years to come in Nevada and elsewhere as opportunities arise.”

“a proven sports wagering platform”

Also commenting on the deal, Steve Arcana, Chief Operating Officer for Golden Entertainment, added…

“We are excited to continue expanding our relationship with William Hill, which has a proven sports wagering platform not only in Nevada but around the world. We look forward to growing our business in Nevada and other jurisdictions through this partnership.”

Eye on other markets:

The two companies will also pursue sports betting opportunities in Maryland and Montana, subject to the passage of legislation in the two states. Both states are moving toward legalization, with Maryland House Bill No. 989 introduced in February 2018, however, the proposed legislation did not move forward in last year’s legislative session. In Montana, two bills have been filed for the current legislative session, H 475, which would legalize pari-mutuel sports betting and S 25, which would legalize sports pools and sports tabs.

Currently, Golden Entertainment operates distributed gaming at 300 locations across Montana and owns Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Cumberland, Maryland.

Golden Entertainment announced the long-term deal with William Hill in October 2018.