Tropicana Evansville's Sports Book Bar & Grill has closed

The Sports Book was located in The District, a casino property whose tenants also include Ri Ra Irish Pub and Boogie Nights nightclub.

Jason Gregorec, Tropicana’s general manager, said the casino closed the Sports Book in December after deciding it would be better to find an outside operator for that location.

The casino owns and operates a number of other bars and restaurants, but all of them are closer to the casino boat and hotel.

The District is off Riverside Drive about a block from the hotel, and Gregorec said the location proved to be “too spread out” for Tropicana.

Gregorec said the casino is already in talks with an outside operator who has interest in opening a new establishment in the former Sports Book spot.

“Hopefully, in the next 30 days or so we’ll be able to make an announcement about what’s going in that space.”

Gregorec declined to reveal the operator or the type of establishment, but said it would be a “totally new” concept and not a franchised operation.

The Sports Book opened in September 2013. It replaced Outlaw Burger Co., which closed in January of that year.