Nov.22.16. How sports information services came about
Today’s tout services and sports picks shows online and social media owe their existence to the early show creators and producers who pioneered the genre back in the 1980s. And no one is better at telling how it all started than executive producer
Nov.19.16. Joe D’Amico’s Football Forecast radio show
Yesterday, I made my way to the Las Vegas site of CBS Sports Radio (1140 AM) to film one of our documentary’s featured handicappers, Joe D’Amico as he recorded his weekly radio show. The program airs each Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
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
Jul.20.16. Horse racing at Del Mar
Long before sports betting drew national interest with the growth in popularity of the professional sports leagues, people had for decades eagerly flocked to race tracks across the country to lay their bets on horse races. This national pastime has played a pivotal
Jul.05.16. Vegas Dave bets $1 Million on MMA Fight
I caught a ride with Vegas Dave (Dave Oancea) tonight as he drove on the Las Vegas Strip. Mainly, I asked him about his recent $1 Million wager on the Tate-Nunes MMA fight slated for Saturday, July 9 at the new
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
Jun.17.16. Interview with Pinnacle CEO Jessica Davis
Recently, producer Dennis Tobler and I sat down with no less than Pinnacle CEO Jessica Davis to talk about the history and growth of sports book operations in the Caribbean Islands since the mid-1990s. Ms. Davis started in the industry working for World Wide
May.25.16. Interview with Norm Kelly
Veteran handicapper and sports book manager Norm Kelly joined us today for an interview, and we were truly delighted. He spoke with energy and authority on the topic he devoted his personal and professional life on–race and sports handicapping. He also offered
Apr.19.16. Follow up with Dave Oancea
Yesterday, we followed up with Dave Oancea, or “Vegas Dave” on his recent streak of bet wins, including a record-setting futures bet win of $2.5 Million on the Kansas City Royals for the 2015 World Series, his $2.3 Million futures win on
Mar.04.16. The Frank Cullotta interview
Yesterday, we sat down with former Las Vegas mobster Frank Cullotta for a big interview. Frank was a key player in the infamous Hole in the Wall Gang that committed rampant criminal acts here in Las Vegas during the late 70s and
Feb.10.16. Super Bowl 50 with Daniel Shaver & April Renee
For Super Bowl 50, we were fortunate to spend two days with a lovely couple from Kansas City, Daniel Shaver and April Renee, who came to Las Vegas to wager on the big game and bask in all the excitement. Vibrant and energetic,
Jan.18.16. Charity event with Joe D’Amico
Last night, we were on hand to witness a charity event involving our featured sports handicapper Joe D’Amico at the Siena Italian here in Las Vegas. The event was a calendar signing featuring Las Vegas celebrities; the proceeds from calendar
Jan.14.16. Follow up with Mr. Tobler
Last night, I sat down for a follow-up interview with Mr. Dennis Tobler, a 30+ year veteran of the sports betting industry here in Las Vegas. It was a heartwarming moment as Dennis waxed nostalgic of his first trips to this
Nov.20.15. More interviews and clips
Yesterday was a full day of shooting interviews, b-roll and photos for the documentary. First stop was the Gaming Control Board/Commission office on Las Vegas Boulevard, followed by a calendar photo shoot for our featured handicapper Joe D’Amico to benefit
Sep.19.15. Follow up with Joe D’Amico
Following up our interview with Joseph D’Amico last month, we had a chance to visit him at his office last night. As expected, the place was very well laid out and organized. The most striking feature was his impressive collection of
Sep.18.15. Our interview with technology expert Ed Kokosky
Ed Kokosky is a game and software developer, telecom engineer and entrepreneur with a 40-year track record in the industry. Yesterday, we asked him about the role that different technologies played in the growth and development of the sports betting industry in the
Aug.28.15. Interview with veteran sports handicapper Joseph D’Amico
Last night was a highlight interview with the master himself, Vegas stalwart and top-rank sports handicapper Joseph D’Amico, at the new Hooters sports bar in Henderson. One of our key objectives for this documentary is to bring you the inside
Aug.20.15. Prolific author and sports historian talks to NPYB
Reno, Nevada–Today we were honored to interview celebrated historian, author and professor emeritus Dr. Richard Davies for our documentary. With 16 books to his credit (author/editor/co-editor), multiple professional awards and countless published articles, Professor Davies is the nation’s foremost historian on
Aug.17.15. Interview with Steven Prentky
Last night, we interviewed Steven Prentky, a long-time professional gambler who moved to Las Vegas in the 1990s to embark on a career in sports gambling. His is a fascinating story of personal discovery–having learned poker at age 8 he
May.29.15. Interview with Professor Moehring
I made my way to the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus today professor, historian and author Eugene Moehring for an interview to be featured in our documentary. Immediately, I was struck by his rapid-fire speech as he cited names,
May.12.15. Offshore sports books unveiled
Today we talked at length to sports journalist and offshore gambling magazine writer-publisher Buzz Daly for a narrative on how offshore sports books got started in the mid- to late-1990s. It was an eye-opening discussion on a topic that eludes
Apr. 21.15. NPYB meets “Vegas Dave”
Today, we had the chance to interview professional sports bettor Dave Oancea or “Vegas Dave” to his many fans and followers in Las Vegas, around the country, and on social media. Energetic, gregarious, and passionate about sports, Dave belongs to an
Apr. 14.15. Writing on the wall?
The conversation to allow legalized gambling in American pro sports is definitely gaining more press coverage these days. In this Vox article, on ESPN and the New York Times, among others, people are now hearing stronger views for changing U.S.
Nov.12.14. Interview with the Professor
I interviewed Professor Jim Matovina at his office in the Charleston campus of the College of Southern Nevada. He was my teacher in the Applied Mathematics course I took in college, and I remember being fascinated by a very interesting
Oct. 24.14. Interview with Buzz Daly and Brad Craft
Today, I conducted two more interviews for the documentary. I met and recorded interviews with Buzz Daly, a longtime sports journalist and magazine publisher, and Brad Craft, a software programmer who designs specialized software for analyzing point spreads on games. Buzz
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. 22.14. Mob Museum
I visited the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas to take notes on the history of mob activities in Las Vegas, including their foray into sports gambling. I took note of the tons of photos and displays inside the museum
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.