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When Circa sportsbook supervisor Nick Bogdanovich graduated from faculty, he had no clue what profession he needed to pursue.
A number of years later, the Las Vegas native earned his unofficial PhD in sports activities betting from Binion’s Horseshoe, the place he turned sportsbook director at age 27 in 1989 and took wagers from the sharpest of the sharps.
Bogdanovich, 60, touched on his larger training as a bookmaker final week when he was inducted into the SBC Sports activities Betting Corridor of Fame in a ceremony in New York Metropolis.
“Once I was working on the Horseshoe, that ready me for the remainder of my profession,” he mentioned. “I used to be actually inexperienced, and I used to be working the second- or third-biggest e-book within the state. The primary 5 calls I’d get within the morning, the primary one was from Bob Black, referred to as ‘Toledo Black.’ The second name could be from Billy Walters. The third name was from Billy Baxter. The fourth name was from Jack Franzi. The fifth name was from Jimmy Aller. And the subsequent 10 calls weren’t any simpler.
”They had been the who’s who of bettors. If I didn’t be taught quick, I’d be out of the enterprise.”
Bogdanovich realized quick. After 9 years at Binion’s, he additionally ran books on the Stratosphere, Mandalay Bay and Membership Cal Neva earlier than embarking on a nine-year run as William Hill sportsbook director.
He helped William Hill set state data for income earlier than the corporate was acquired in 2021 by Caesars Leisure, which fired Bogdanovich 4 months later.
In 2022, Bogdanovich was employed at Circa Sports activities, which, like himself, takes pleasure in welcoming sharp motion.
“I’ve type of come full circle due to Circa. They take all comers,” he mentioned. “We’ve bought the who’s who of bettors now at Circa. These early years at Binion’s most likely ready me nicely.”
Sands of time
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Bogdanovich all the time had a ardour for sports activities and starred in baseball and basketball at Western Excessive College. He performed faculty basketball at Lewis-Clark State Faculty in Lewiston, Idaho, the place he earned a level in enterprise administration.
“With that diploma in enterprise, I had zero concept what I needed to do,” he mentioned. “I simply got here residence and tried to determine it out.”
Bogdanovich landed his first job within the sports activities betting business as a ticket author on the Sands with the assistance of South Level proprietor Michael Gaughan, who additionally was inducted into the SBC Sports activities Betting Corridor of Fame final week.
The truth is, Gaughan flew Bogdanovich and a number of other different Corridor of Fame bookmakers, together with Chris Andrews, Vinny Magliulo, Jimmy Vaccaro and Artwork Manteris, to the ceremony on his personal airplane.
“That’s what made it so particular. Getting in with Michael and having him take us again there,” Bogdanovich mentioned. “There have been loads of good playing tales alongside the best way.”
Bogdanovich is buddies with the sons of Las Vegas heart specialist Charles Ruggeroli, an in depth buddy of Gaughan’s who requested if he had any openings in 1986.
“He didn’t have any openings. However a man who used to work in Michael’s e-book, Rick Herron, was working the e-book on the Sands and employed me,” Bogdanovich mentioned. “After six months, they promoted me to supervisor after which I simply went from there. That’s how I initially bought going.”
He rapidly realized he needed to work within the business for the remainder of his life.
“Instantly, I knew that I needed to be across the motion,” he mentioned. “There have been a number of excessive rollers in there, and as soon as I bought round it and noticed the motion within the e-book and the on line casino, I assume I used to be most likely hooked.”
After a well-publicized misunderstanding during which Bogdanovich was fired from his put up at Mandalay Bay over $550,000 in Tremendous Bowl bets positioned by Charles Barkley (with no marker), he spent two years on the opposite facet of the counter as a professional sports activities bettor.
He gained three handicapping contests in a row at Leroy’s, together with a $5,000-entry one which paid $160,000.
“That was a enjoyable little run there,” Bogdanovich mentioned.
However he referred to as it “a blessing” to get again to work as a bookmaker for good in 2008 at Cal Neva in Reno, and he’s proud that he’s all the time handled bettors pretty in his 37-year profession.
“From day one, I’ve all the time been thought-about a liberal bookmaker,” he mentioned. “I’ve tried to do issues the precise approach.
“I ran truthful locations. I’ve all the time had truthful pricing, and I’ve all the time handled clients pretty. I simply know, in the long term, that will get the job accomplished.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Comply with @tdewey33 on Twitter.
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