Meet Our Board

SGHOF Voting Committee:

Chris Andrews

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My first job in Las Vegas was at the legendary Stardust in 1979. As a recent college graduate from Robert Morris College in Pittsburgh, I had a thirst to begin my career in the race and sports book industry that I had loved from afar. I worked three days a week in the sports book and three days a week in the race book to learn all I could about the business and the Las Vegas way of doing things. I had a pretty good head start growing up in the same household as one of Las Vegas’s most celebrated handicappers, Pittsburgh Jack Franzi.

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Richie Baccellieri

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Richie B began his career in 1986 at Caesars Palace and he never looked back.

At the age of 28 he became the Manager of Sports operations at the MGM Grand and then returned to Caesars as Sports Book Director. The Palace presented the opportunity to offer many new types of wagers that are prevalent in today’s marketplace. After a short return to the MGM Grand, he consulted for various offshore sports betting outlets and worked closely with a large betting group where he learned to operate from the “other” side of the counter. 
 
In 2005 , Richie returned to Las Vegas to direct operations at the Palms Casino where he began offering daily in-game wagering which has now become a major part of the sports betting landscape. He was also a key participant on the Discovery Networks Handicapping series called The Linemakers and characterized in the gambling novel “The Smart Money”.
 
In 2009 , with business partners in place, the concept to design a new sports book management software for Nevada began , and by 2017 the product was being utilized by 90% of the operators in the state. Currently, he is in a similar position as Director of Product for Circa Sports.

Billy Baxter

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William E. Baxter Jr., born in 1940, is an American professional poker player and sports bettor. He started his gambling career by playing pool at the age of 14 and discovered his talent for hustling pool games. At the age of 18, he started playing poker in taverns and dropped out of college to pursue his career as a professional poker player. He has won seven World Series of Poker bracelets in lowball games, including Razz, Deuce-to-Seven, and California Lowball (draw), and is second all-time in non-Hold’em bracelets.

He is also known for staking Stu Ungar to the buy-in for Ungar’s victory in the Main Event of the 1997 WSOP, and his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,600,000 as of 2017, with $1,093,044 of those winnings coming from his 35 cashes at the WSOP. Baxter was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2006.

 

Nick Bogdanovich

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After earning his B.S. in Business Administration from Lewis Clark State College, Nick Bogdanovich embarked on a distinguished career in the sports betting industry. Nick’s journey began as the Sports Book Director at Binion’s Horseshoe from 1989 to 1998, followed by a sportsbook director position at Mandalay Bay from 2000 to 2002. In 2008, he assumed the role of Sports Book Director at Club Cal Neva, until 2012. From 2012 to 2021, Nick directed sports books at William Hill United States. As of 2022, he has been serving as the Sports Book Manager at Circa.

Beyond Nick’s professional achievements, he celebrates 25 years of marriage and is a proud parents of two boys. In his leisure time, Nick enjoys the hobbies of golf and pickleball.

 

Christopher Bruno

Christopher Bruno is a retired bookmaker and professional sports bettor from New York.

Dickey Carson

Hello friendsmy name is Dickey Carson. It’s my honor to serve on this board to nominate and select members to be inducted in the SGHOF. I was born in Tyler, Texas on September 26, 1946 . I moved to El Paso, Texas when I was 6 and lived there till I was 15. I then moved to Dallas, Texas, and that’s where I really got into all forms of gambling. Aside from being a pool hustler, I started betting on sports- of course I lost all the money I had most weeks.

I met many characters of the city, including numerous bookmakers. I worked for one of them after school during my senior year in 1964. His name was Ben Summers. Just an apt with 2 phones. I was impressed with his business, and that’s when I decided I wanted to be a bookmaker.

I spent the next 3 yrs traveling around the country playing pool. It was about 1968 when I started trying to be a bookmaker. I started like all of us: slowly. I knew Bobby Chapman very well; he influenced me very much as he was the kingpin bookmaker at this time. Over the next 6 yrs I built my business up to a fairly good book.

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Steven Diano

I lived in Las Vegas for over 30 years. I started as a runner for a group known as the Philly Crew. After 3 months I became in charge of running the crew’s Vegas runners. I left the crew for a year to work for Billy Walters, and then went on my own from the mid 90s til the present day. I’ve worked with many of the sharpest groups along the way as I learned:
 
“Success in this business is not about what you know or who you know, it’s all about what who you know knows.”
 
In June 2021 I moved to Michigan to be close to my Grandkids, but still continue to make my living betting on sports.

Alan Dvorkis

The foundation for my love of college basketball began while attending the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1970s. The New York Daily News had a column called The Latest Line. Jim McCarthy Jr posted a line. He used alliterative blurbs to post picks. He was very good. I read the column daily. I attended many a game, always aware of the point spread. Years later, I read a book by Robert Kalich called The Handicapper. In the first two pages we read about a man getting a manic influx of phone calls. He takes the information and wings out college basketball winners. 

I told myself that one day I would be that guy. The summer before I moved to Vegas, I created my own power ratings. I called a friend with my opening week football lines. We won every game that week. We won at a hi rate that season. Clearly, I had good instinct. With help from many, I found much success. I may never have become the man, but I sure as shit got close.

Brandt England

I began my career in business working for two different Fortune 100 companies.

After six years I was looking for a new challenge- so I ventured into the sports industry, offshore and then for Don Best Sports. The majority of my time was spent betting on sports for several of the most successful syndicate groups and handicappers in the country.

I welcome the responsibility that goes with being chosen to be on The Sports Gambling Hall of Fame committee and take it very seriously.

Arne Lang

The author of five books, Arne K. Lang is a recognized authority on the history of boxing and the history of American sports gambling. A longtime Las Vegas resident, Lang has served on both sides of the counter, earning his spurs at the Las Vegas Hilton under Art Manteris before joining Scott Schettler’s team at the iconic Stardust.
 
At the ‘Dust, where his business card identified him as the Sports Information Coordinator, Lang and Michael “Roxy” Roxborough were the second co-hosts of the long running “Stardust Line” weekend radio show which blanketed the western U.S.  on a 50,000-Watt station, and Lang developed the “Stardust Sports Registry,” a tri-weekly publication.

Vinny Magliulo

Sports Book Director: Gaughan Gaming
Vice President of Corporate Relations: Las Vegas Dissemination Company (LVDC)

Magliulo’s duties include overseeing the continued relationship/agreements/operations between Gaughan Gaming/LVDC and the member companies of the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association and LVDC’s Native American clients including Foxwoods Resort Casino (CT), Cities of Gold and Route 66 (NM). He works in conjunction with the entire Gaughan Gaming/LVDC team to formulate and execute growth strategies beneficial to the company’s portfolio. He also coordinates the company’s operations and technical departments while overseeing the company’s agreements with domestic & international racetracks. Magliulo also serves as Chairman of LVDC’s Compliance Committee.

Magliulo brings 45 years of industry experience to the company, including race & sports operations, table games and marketing.While at Caesars, Vinny met Richie Baccellieri and the two began a strong bond. Along with their team, they created one of the most exciting and versatile sports betting operations in the industry.

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Matthew Metcalf

Matthew Metcalf most recently served as the Sportsbook Director of Circa Sports.. After graduating from the University of Florida in 2002, he moved to Las Vegas where he first worked as a ticket writer, and then as a supervisor at the Imperial Palace Casino.  In 2004 he was hired as part of a 4-person management team to lead the rebranding of the Las Vegas Hilton Superbook.  

In 2011, Matthew departed the then Westgate Casino for the other side of the betting counter becoming a professional sports bettor specializing in College Football, College Basketball, and NASCAR wagering.  Matthew made his living solely as a professional sports bettor for 8 years until eventually being hired by Circa Sports in June 2018 to implement his vision of creating a sportsbook with the highest standard limits, lowest future book holds, and best in class customer service.  Mr. Metcalf’s experience as a bookmaker, oddsmaker, and a professional sports bettor provide him with a unique perspective of the sports betting industry.  

 

David Purdum

David Purdum, a longtime newspaper reporter and editor, has been covering the sports betting industry since 2008, the last eight years with ESPN. He chronicled the legal battle between the state of New Jersey and the major sports leagues all the way to the Supreme Court and continues to follow the evolution of America’s sports gambling landscape.

Away from work, Purdum is a father, husband and youth soccer coach in Dawsonville, Georgia. 

Roxy Roxborough

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Roxy Roxborough founded Las Vegas Sports Consultants in 1982 and ran the international oddsmaking business for 17 years, during which time it revolutionized the industry by pioneering the use of mathematical formulas and computer models. He was also a Co-Founder of American Wagering Inc, which became the first US bookmaking company to be publicly listed in 1996.

A familiar figure to US sports fans through his frequent media appearances, he also co-authored Sports Book Management: A Guide to the Legal Bookmaker in 1988, the first educational book for the sports betting business. His achievements saw Roxborough placed second on the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s list of the most influential sports figures of the 20th century, as well as named in GQ magazine’s 50 most important people in sports, and Sports Illustrated’s 50 greatest sports figures in Nevada history.

He was inducted into the SBC Sports Betting Hall of Fame in 2020.

Victor Salerno

Mr. Salerno has enjoyed over forty years in the sports betting business where he served as Chairman of American Wagering, Inc (American Wagering or AWI). AWI operated over 130 Leroy’s Sports Books (Leroy’s) in Nevada. At AWI, Mr. Salerno launched the first computerized sports book platform, Computerized Bookmaking Services (CBS). Under his leadership CBS created the first bookmaking network hub, first self-service race and sports wagering kiosks and first mobile sports betting in the US with the Leroy’s App. 

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Scotty Schettler

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Scotty Schettler is one of the most beloved and respected bookmakers ever. Scotty started the famous Stardust lottery, allowing everyone a fair chance to bet openers. He accepted all customers, regardless of how sharp they were.

Schettler took over the Stardust Sportsbook after Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal. Leaning on the expertise of Roxborough — the founder of the Las Vegas Sports Consultants oddsmaking service — the Stardust set opening lines for every game, and those numbers became the standard across the country. Day after day, bettors formed long lines in front of the counter early in the morning, hoping to get the first crack at the opening numbers.

Scotty Schettler’s book “We Were Wise Guys and Didn’t Know it” presents a rare and unprecedented history of the early days of “old Las Vegas” and the sports betting luminaries who set the standards and culture in the evolution of sports betting in Las Vegas. 

 

Richard Schuetz

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Richard Schuetz entered the gaming industry working nights as a blackjack and dice dealer while attending college and has since served in a great many capacities within the industry including operations, finance, and marketing.  He has held senior executive positions up to and including CEO in jurisdictions across the United States, including the gaming markets of Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno/Tahoe, Laughlin, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Louisiana.  In addition, he has consulted and taught around the globe and served as a member of the California Gambling Control Commission and as Executive Director of the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission. He also publishes extensively on the topics of gaming, gaming regulation, diversity, and gaming history.

 

Paris Smith

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Paris Smith’s career in online gaming spans more than two decades, which includes more than 14 years as CEO of Pinnacle (www.pinnacle.com), one of the world’s most respected online bookmakers. Paris’ unmatched understanding of the online gaming business has led to her advising governments to develop regulatory frameworks, as well as working closely with key industry service providers.

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Jimmy Vaccaro

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Jimmy Vaccaro was the first bookmaker to introduce halftime and quarter wagering. He helped accelerate the expansion of sports betting in Nevada.

Vaccaro started in the casino industry in 1975 as a blackjack dealer at the Royal Inn, where he opened the sports book under the direction of owner Michael Gaughan. Vaccaro and Gaughan opened the Barbary Coast sports book in 1979. 

Billy Walters

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Billy Walters is known for being the greatest sports bettor of all time. He commands respect from every prominent bookmaker in the world and is known for being a philanthropist.

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Jeff Whitelaw

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I graduated SUNY Albany and moved to Las Vegas. My first job was working in the SportsBook at The Barbary Coast. While there I learned a tremendous amount about sports betting. After working there I switched sides of the counter. In addition to sports betting I also consulted for some books. I also was CFO for Game Makers and Consultants which included working closely with Ray Charles and developing a slot machine with his likeness. It has been a fun ride so far!