I-gaming, mobile phones, tablets…Face it, gentlemen (and ladies), this is where sports betting is headed.

"We are in the future," said John English, senior vice president for business development and public affairs at Leroy’s or formally American Wagering Inc. "By combining all our efforts we can do some great things."

The combining involves the purchase of Leroy’s, Lucky’s and Cal Neva by English-based William Hill, which is expected to receive the go-ahead later this year from Gaming Control to begin operations in Nevada.

The arrival couldn’t come soon enough for Leroy’s, whose sports handle lost 24.9 percent ($1.4 million) for the quarter ending July 31, according to figures just released by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"With William Hill coming in we hope to offer a wider betting opportunity for the customer," English said. "There will be more soccer betting and the horse racing industry will be reinvigorated."

The way Leroy’s will attempt to turn deficit into profit will be through tablets and handheld devices that will make betting as simple as phone texting wherever and whenever you want – provided, of course, you are in the state of Nevada.

"We reached out for a Star Trek-type device in looking at smart phones," English said. "The casino is geographically limited. It doesn’t give us the reach we needed. The mobile device is user friendly and not intimidating at all."

Leroy’s was a pioneer in bringing kiosks into the sports books and bars to help generate taxable revenue for those not able to get to the casinos. But to attract the younger crowd, which spends so much time texting on the phone, the technology needed to be both upgraded and more personalized.

"We took everything that was found on grease boards and put it into a computer," English said. "South Point has that old style and does a great job. There’s a great vibe there. Same with Palace Station and downtown with the plain white boards.

"We still have some in our warehouse for those who want them," he added. "The industry, though, needed to evolve. Slot machines don’t have those handles anymore and you don’t hear those coins dropping."

English said it’s natural to want sports betting to be associated with iPhone where you can do anything you want at anytime.

"Our niche in the industry has always been convenience for the bettor," English said. "The Android and iPhone are becoming more user friendly than the Blackberry, but we like and use all three. The iPhone is addictive. I pay my bills on it and have my own iPad. It’s the fastest growing market."

Leroy’s has agreements with AT&T, Horizon and Sprint for the mobile devices and tablets. Players just need to fill out a quick form, supply ID and open an account for a $50 minimum. Once done, they can bet anywhere from $2 and up right away.

"Just put in your password and you’re ready to go," English said. "It’s like logging in at a slot machine."

Personally, I like the tablet because the screen is larger and the method of wagering simple. Now the task at hand is to attract that younger crowd to sports wagering.

"We are not out there to compete, but to enhance," English said. "Through William Hill I see new avenues we never had in the U.S. Soccer betting will be very big in the future as will F-1 racing."