Aug.29.16. Sports betting contest gets rolling
Last Friday August 26, I paid a visit to the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook to witness the kickoff of their SuperContest weekend. This annual pro football handicapping contest, to my understanding, started in the late eighties and has persisted over the years under various names, formats and management. Essentially, contestants compete for prize money by coming up with the best winning picks percentage against the point spread during the regular season. What caught my attention was the dramatic growth in participants over the last five years, proof positive that sports betting is gaining momentum and mainstream followers.
Walking around, I had a chance to interview Jay Kornegay (Westgate’s SuperBook Director and SuperContest organizer), plus a handful of new and returning players for their impressions on this year’s contest. I also ran into Steve Prentky, a former contest winner whom we’ve interviewed for the documentary back in August 2015, as he officially enters the SuperContest this year. Finally, I was able to get some pointed observations from two veteran handicappers, Joe D’Amico and Tony George, about the event and sports betting trends in general. Truly, it was a worthwhile trip and an eventful feature for our documentary.
Jul.02.16. Jim Bobbera recounts his days at the Stardust with Lefty Rosenthal
Not a lot of people can claim working with Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal during the glory days of the Stardust Casino like Jim Bobbera can. From 1968 till 2014, Mr. Bobbera was a fixture of Las Vegas’ marquee casinos from the Stardust, Dunes
Oct. 22.14. Interview with Dennis Tobler
I conducted a short interview with Dennis Tobler–Las Vegas handicapper, sports analyst and entrepreneur of some 30+ years–to “break the ice” and follow through on my initial inquiries into the sports betting industry.
Sep. 17.14. Proposal
This was my first meeting with Mr. Dennis Tobler at his Las Vegas residence. He asked me to consider the prospect of directing a documentary on the history of sports betting in America. I was immediately intrigued by his offer.
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