California's Hard Rock Sacramento to open sports bar with 20-game video wall in October

A new sports bar is under construction at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain in Wheatland, designed to cater to guests seeking a dedicated space to watch live games. 

The project is expected to open in October, casino president Mark Birtha told The Sacramento Beeand, and will feature a video wall capable of broadcasting up to 20 sporting events at once.

According to Birtha, the idea came directly from guest requests for a place to gather and watch sports. He noted that the design could easily accommodate sports betting if California changes its laws. Two state ballot measures that would have allowed wagering through tribal casinos, either in person or via mobile apps, were rejected by voters in 2022.

“In the future, you’ll be able to walk up to a kiosk, be able to walk up to a sports betting window,” Birtha said in the interview. “These are all things that need to be vetted and approved and regulated and then, you know, offered, but they can be done hopefully at a bricks-and-mortar-type location.”

For now, the bar will open this fall without sports betting, which remains illegal in California. A news release said the space will include cocktails, a cigar lounge, and sports memorabilia featuring athletes from the region. It will not serve food, Birtha confirmed. The bar is designed to hold up to 82 people and will operate daily from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.