Leroy's Horse & Sports Place

Leroy's Horse & Sports Place also known as Leroy's Race and Sport Book or simply Leroy's is the largest operator of sports books in Nevada, with 77 race and sports books and kiosks. Based in Las Vegas, Leroy's is a subsidiary of American Wagering, which is owned by British bookmaker William Hill.

In addition to operating Leroy's, American Wagering manufactures and sells equipment and software to other sportsbook operators. Its products are used in a majority of sportsbooks in Nevada.

The company also owns and operates Sturgeon's Inn & Casino in Lovelock, Nevada, which it bought in March 2006.

Leroy's started as an independent betting parlor in a strip mall in Downtown Las Vegas, founded by Leroy Merillat. Vic Salerno, Merillat's son-in-law, took over in 1978.

Leroy's was placed under a holding company, American Wagering, Inc. (AWI), and made its initial public offering in May 1996. 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.

In October 1996, AWI bought Autotote CBS, a subsidiary of Autotote Corp., for $3 million, and renamed it as Computerized Bookmaking Systems. The company, which makes equipment and software for sportsbooks, was founded by Salerno.

AWI agreed in April 1997 to buy Imagineering Systems, a maker of keno systems, for $3 million, but canceled the deal in September 1997, deciding instead to build a progressive keno system in-house. Imagineering sued AWI for breach of contract, and was eventually awarded $1.2 million.

AWI launched an Australian subsidiary, Mega$ports, based in Canberra, in January 1999. In March, it began accepting online wagers from bettors located anywhere except the United States. Trouble arose, however, that December, with a Nevada Gaming Commission complaint alleging that an agent located in Las Vegas was able to place bets by going through a Canadian Internet provider. AWI was ultimately forced to sell Mega$ports, or risk losing its Nevada gaming license. An initial sale fell through in June 2001, when the buyer, Forward Publishing, failed to raise the agreed-upon A$1 million. The sale was finally completed in July 2002, to Eurast Ltd. of Perth for $2.8 million.

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