About
The Project: Now Place Your Bets. This groundbreaking film details the dramatic rise of legal sports betting in Las Vegas and its growth into a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. Through in-depth interviews, personal accounts, footage and photographs, we will highlight the key events and milestones that shaped the sports betting industry into what it is today. This history also dovetails with the changing fortunes of Las Vegas as a gambling town and entertainment destination, at turns overseen by elements of organized crime, corporate interests, and the U.S. government. Featured prominently in the film are the pioneer oddsmakers, casino operators, bookmakers, professional gamblers, journalists and historians who witnessed these events. Today, betting on sports is a popular pastime and life style choice for many Americans. Its appeal incorporates the innate drive for competition and the rewards of winning. These are the major themes the film explores as it depicts the ways in which the urge to keep score with money is an ingrained American trait.
The Producers: TSI Network. TSI Network, led by founder Dennis Tobler, has produced sports analyses and gaming shows since the late 1980s until today. Among its more popular programs are The Sports Game, Football Forecast Weekly, Eye on Sports, and Thoroughbred Forecast which have appeared on local and cable tv, syndication, and the web. TSI also owns and operates the Gambling Broadcast Network (GBN) currently featured online (gamblingbroadcast.com) and on Roku.
The Director: James Bernardo. James Bernardo is a Las Vegas based photographer and filmmaker. Before his media career, he served in the Navy with tours of duty in the U.S. and abroad. James is a commercial photography graduate of the College of Southern Nevada; he also holds a business degree and MBA. As a filmmaker, James has directed and produced short documentaries dealing with the Las Vegas housing crisis, World War II veterans, the plight of young adults in Nevada during the economic downturn, and homeless veterans.
Please have Jim contact me via email given. I worked at the Stardust with Jim Bobbera during the time Jim talked about and I loved every minute. Thank You
Hello TSI Network, Mr. Dennis Tobler, Director James Bernardo & the entire TSI staff,
Was so looking forward to the opening of this comprehensive film on sports betting in America and “Really” world wide but Las Vegas in particular. Not only for it’s entertainment value but also the historical implications of sports betting to the point we are at today. A train ride through the Las Vegas sports betting timeline if you will!
The allure of “Vegas Baby” will always be there as this documentary is a huge part of that. To me it is an important part of Americana! Nice!
As a Vietnam Naval veteran I would like to give a shoutout to filmmaker James Bernardo for his other documentaries and works highlighted above as well. Thank You sir!
I will be contacting my local cable providers in regard to this film.
Best Regards,
Fred Kroner – (Hootowl9)
Thanks for your kind words and interest. We’d love to show it in more places, including one near you. DVDs are now available if you want to see it sooner, just click on our “Buy The DVD” page to order a copy.