The rapid development of casino gambling in New England took another huge step last week when The Brook, formerly known as Seabrook Park for nearly four decades, introduced a complete brand and remodeling. The project included the unveiling of an impressive sports viewing area that brought Las Vegas flavor to the small New Hampshire town, located just beyond the Massachusetts border and less than an hour’s drive from Boston.
The opening timing of the sports viewing area could not have been better, as it came less than two weeks after New Hampshire officially launched its mobile sports betting through the DraftKings Sportsbook app. On Sunday, The Brook was bustling with guests watching the NFL playoffs with a 4K video display the size of three cinemas and more than 150 televisions, taking advantage of a range of table games, live poker, and stadium gaming offerings. “The overwhelming response from customers is positive,” said Andre Carrier, CEO of Nevada-based Eureka Casino Resort, a 100 percent employee-owned company that acquired the historic Seabrook property last year and immediately dug into the ground to begin the redevelopment process. “They get excited when they see the remodeling, and they’re looking forward to watching both the Boston sports team and the national game on the racetrack. Some even said that this beats any sports viewing experience they’ve had in Vegas or elsewhere. Movie theater screens, sofa seats and movie theater-style recliners received the biggest compliments.” The atmosphere and offerings currently available at The Brook followed the introduction of sports betting on Rhode Island in late 2018, the first time Massachusetts welcomed two packed casino resorts since MGM Springfield opened over the past 17 months, and then the lavish Encore Boston port that opened last summer with tremendous fanfare. But as Massachusetts drags its feet in legalizing sports betting and Maine vetoed a sports betting bill last week, New Hampshire has struggled to provide the need for avid sports bettors in the north of New England. “We’re already the only place in New Hampshire to make Paris mutual bets, so building a global racetrack and a sports viewing area for longtime guests makes sense globally,” added Carrier, who grew up between southeastern Massachusetts and White Mountain in New Hampshire. “We’ve already seen people drive north to 95th Street and watch sports on movie theater screens and spend their days betting on their app.” Brook’s stadium stands in a lot like the sports books you look up and down the streets of Las Vegas. Measuring 9 feet by 27 feet, the three video screens can be broken down into six screens each, but on days like Sunday, the center screen was dedicated to NFL football. 파워볼게임
“We also think New England is home to the greatest sports fans in the world, and if you can’t go to The Brook, the game, I think it’s the best place to watch sports anywhere in New England,” Carrier said. Currently, sports betting is only available through the Mobile DraftKings app, but The Brook is hoping to become one of the 10 offline venues in the U.S. that offer retail sports betting. Seabrook Village selectors unanimously voted to support the Eureka Casino Resort’s request, and the vote will take place on Mar. 10. Carrier said, “The town of Shivrook has been in a Paris-mutuel fight for nearly 50 years, and they’ll be holding a vote to approve sports betting in early March.” If that happens, I think we’ll be able to see retail sportsbooks in The Brook in 2020. Exit 1 of Route 95 will be the best place to help the state reap profits from our large Massachusetts population south, as well as an influx of tourists coming to the coast in the summer, and it’s also a convenient place for those who can come from Maine. Before the remodeling, a 90,000-square-foot former dog track had a casino area that included blackjacks, roulette and Cajun studs, food and beverage, and racebooks located in different sections of the building, but now everything is in the same central area. In addition to table games, The Brook is the only gaming arena in New Hampshire with an interactive table gaming experience featuring live dealers and a stadium gaming seat that can switch between games using the touchscreen of individual player terminals. There are also three live poker tables, “Retro Arcade,” complete with pinball and classical video games, as well as several TVs and beer on the tabs. The former Greyhound Casino & Tavern, below the hall, now has about a dozen more poker tables used for the regular schedule of the tournament each day. Also, what makes The Brook unique to competitors in other states is the fact that New Hampshire uses a charitable model where 35% of the game’s revenue is delivered directly to the local organization’s rotating list. “The Brook seems to connect with both new and old customers,” said Carrier. “We know there will be things we can do better in the coming weeks as we get used to bringing race books and casinos together, but our staff owners are energized and guests recognize things will get better here.”