Cuba's Apache Nugget opens sportsbook ahead of NFL season

CUBA, NM — Football is here, and if you find yourself on Route 550, you can now bet on it.

The Apache Nugget Travel Center and Casino, seven months after its grand reopening, is launching a brand-new race and sportsbook just in time for the NFL season.

“This has been one thing that people have been asking for quite a bit,” said Tony J. Amormino, president and CEO of Apache Nugget Corporation. “Ever since I moved here in September of last year, people asked when are we going to have a sports book on-site. So this was one of the big things people, especially in the area, have always been asking for.”

The Apache Nugget reopened on Valentine’s Day this past February after being closed since 2020 due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. Now back, the Casino and Travel Center looks to not just continue on but to grow.

“For the sportsbook, we are adding plenty of amenities, plenty of promotions, especially for the second half of this month and into October, we have giveaways,” Amormino said. “That is the true intent of what we’re going to do. We’re trying to keep people engaged throughout not only the sports season, but also into every other part of the year that people might not be interested in sports.”

Engagement and inclusion are at the forefront for Amormino and the Nugget, as the wild world of sports gambling becomes more and more common in the Land of Enchantment.

“Even the most novice of sports enthusiasts will be able to work their way into this market, and that’s what we’re ultimately trying to do,” Amormino said. “We’re trying to educate our customer base, but we’re also trying to provide them with amenities they can’t get anywhere else in the state of New Mexico or even in the Southwest.”

According to ESPN, the United States sports betting industry saw a record $13.7 billion in revenue last year, setting a new record.

With record highs in the industry and online gambling still illegal in New Mexico, Amormino has been interested in getting into the market since even before the casino’s reopening.

“I was pretty tight-lipped about it. It was truly in my plans, but without me telling anybody in the area what my true intentions were last September, October,” Amormino said. “Just hearing that (customers asking for a sportsbook), it just kind of fueled it, and I was hoping to get it a little bit sooner, but I definitely wanted to make sure we had it all right and all ready for football.”

While the Apache Nugget anticipates a lot of football fans to walk through those doors (especially Cowboy fans in tonight’s season opener), the Apache Nugget will have something for sports fans of all kinds.

“In November, we’re focusing on the NBA, and in December, we’re focusing on the NHL. So we’re trying to hit every single sport and trying to truly educate our guests on how to bet and what these terms mean,” Amormino said. “People hear the words ‘parlay’ or ‘teaser’, they might be kind of scared off, whereas somebody who has been in the industry or who’s been around sports betting for a long time, they know, and it’s second nature to them. We want everyone to feel comfortable with the terminology and how to place a bet.”

Officially opening last week, Apache Nugget’s race and sportsbook will be open during their normal business hours.