Leroy's Horse & Sports Place

[1][2] The following year, Nevada gaming regulators found Merillat unsuitable for licensing because of questions about the propriety of a land deal in California, and he was forced to sell the business.

[6][7] Salerno developed one of the first computerized sportsbook management systems to make his operation more efficient and able to compete with the large casinos.

[16] The funds raised in the IPO were used to complete the purchase of a 150-room Howard Johnson's hotel and casino near the Las Vegas Strip, which the company planned to remodel as a sports-themed resort.

[24] In July 1997, AWI and International Game Technology jointly launched MegaSports, a parimutuel sports betting system offering high-value progressive jackpots to bettors at Leroy's and other Nevada sportbooks.

[27] AWI, through an Australian subsidiary, launched an online site offering race and sports betting under the MegaSports name in 1999.

[29] Trouble arose, however, later that year, when the Nevada Gaming Commission accused MegaSports of accepting bets from an agent located in Las Vegas who went through a Canadian Internet provider.

[32] Michael Racusin, a financial consultant who assisted with the IPO, filed a lawsuit claiming he was not paid his full fee.

[42] In June 2012, British bookmaker William Hill bought American Wagering for $18 million, along with Lucky's Race & Sports Book and the satellite sportsbook operations of Club Cal Neva.