The Sports Gambling Hall of Fame (pictured) opened in 2023 at the giant Circa Sportsbook at Circa Casino in Downtown Las Vegas. One year later, it’s adding the second class of Hall of Famers.
On Friday, August 9, another 10 legendary bettors, oddsmakers, and key sports betting business figures will be added to the list. They will receive a permanent tribute to their legacy in a dedicated section of Circa Sportsbook
Inductees for 2024 include Herb “Herbie Hoops” Lambeck, who drove the college basketball betting scene in the 1960s and was later influential in Las Vegas Boxing, and a posthumous nod to the pioneer of computer data-led sports betting, Michael Kent.
The ceremonial induction is set to cap the 2024 edition of BetBash, a sports betting conference and networking event organized by professional sports bettor Gadoon “Spanky” Kyrollos.
The New Hall of Famers
The full list of new additions to the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame this year: Richie Baccellieri, Herb Lambeck, Nick Bogdanovich, Jimmy Evarts, Ron “The Cigar” Sacco, Vic Salerno, Ed Curd, Michael Kent, Gene Maday, and Chuck Schuapp.
Vic Salerno is known for pushing the digitization of sports betting, including introducing the first sports betting kiosks and mobile betting apps. He sold his Nevada-based business to British bookmaker William Hill in 2012.
Michael Kent, (1944-2018) was the driving force behind the first computerized sports betting syndicate, The Computer Group, who made millions from baseball betting in the 1980s.
Kent was also a key mentor for 2023 Sports Gambling Hall of Fame inductee Billy Walters, who is widely regarded as the most profitable sports bettor of all-time.
Another famous Las Vegas face getting a posthumous nod this year is Gene Maday. The long-time owner of Little Caesar’s, one of the smallest sports betting joints on the Las Vegas Strip from the ’60s to the mid ’90s, he was known for booking some of the biggest sports bets in Sin City over those decades.
That included a cool $1 million bet on the Super Bowl in 1989. Which would have been a headline even today at $2.5 million adjusted for inflation. Maday died in 1994, and Little Caesar’s sportsbook closed shortly after.
The Venue and Existing Members
The full list of current members of the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame at Circa: Billy Baxter, Michael “Roxy” Roxborough, Scotty Schettler, Jimmy Vacaro, Billy Walters, Jackie Gaughan, Bob Martin, Jack Franzi, Charles McNeil, and Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal.
The Sports Gambling Hall of Fame is located just off Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. It is open to the public throughout the year to view and learn about these famous sports betting figures.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
