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Exclusive To WagerOnFootball.com - Sport Books Review
- Our #4 Pick For
Best Sportsbook Bodog.com's
Own Rob Gillespie will appear here with his weekly
article for Wager On Football.com Readers. We can't
begin to tell you how lucky we are to have this
man's expertise right here on our site.
What won't WagerOnFootball.com do for its loyal
readers? Well We'll do everything but give you the
$$ to place your NFL bet.
Rob Gillespie, President of Bodog
Sportsbook, Casino and Poker, has been involved
in sports wagering and gambling since he was a young
child. Whether it was playing five-card stud with
his dad's Navy buddies or running a sportsbook out
of his high school locker, Gillespie has always
had a knack for the gambling game.
A couple of weeks ago I said that I would dedicate
an upcoming issue to answering your questions and
I want to thank everyone for taking the time recently
to drop me a few lines. Your emails are always appreciated
(and read!).
This first letter comes from a bettor who is interested
in a career in sports gambling and it's a very common
email that I get...
Hey Rob,
I have been gambling on all types of sports for
the last 10 years. I would really enjoy working
for a sportsbook, or something in the sports gambling
world. How would I go about doing that? I know about
all the sports, I'm very strong at college football
and pro football. If you have any ideas please let
me know. I would really like to start a career in
the sports world of gambling.
MW
Hi MW,
I get asked this a lot and I always suggest that
players start with a trip to Las Vegas. Ask every
employee at every book what they think of their
job...you may be surprised to learn it isn't exciting
as you think or you may find that you love it. You
might also get a lead or two towards a job. You
can go from working in Vegas to working for Internet
books, but it is more difficult to go the other
way.
Internet books tend to hire in the late Spring/early
Summer as they ramp up for the upcoming football
season. Do some research on what jurisdictions would
be best for you (UK, Antigua, Costa Rica, etc.),
and then send your resume around to books. Be prepared
to start at the bottom and work your way up.
I also recommend consulting a lawyer before you
head down the international path as there are gambling
laws as well as emigration and taxation issues to
consider when working outside the United States.
Good luck in your search,
Rob Gillespie
Hi Rob,
Where can I get good books on how to bet or how
to book sports?
Thanks,
NT
Dear NT,
The Gambler's Book Shop in Las Vegas is an outstanding
source for gambling books and they do have an online
mail order service. On their site you'll find a
book called Sports Book Management by Rhoden and
Roxborough. It is a really good introduction into
the mathematics and business of running a book.
Thanks for the email,
Rob Gillespie
Hi Rob,
I noticed (and correct me if I'm wrong) that all
sportsbooks number their games the same way. Is
there a gentleman's agreement or rule among sportsbooks
as to what system to follow when they're numbering
their games? Just curious.
Thanks.
GB
Hi GB,
The numbers used are called 'rotation numbers' and
are created by a company in Las Vegas for all books
to use. It helps all of us as bettors if we can
call up and ask for the line on game 917 instead
of say Xavier - and clerks can find the game faster.
With 100+ games on the board some days, this greatly
speeds up phone calls which benefits us and players.
It also makes comparing lines from book to book
very easy on the websites as games are always displayed
in the same order.
Regards,
Rob Gillespie
Dear Rob,
I always thought it would make for good "discussion"
if you were to explain exactly how Bodog gets its
lines, from whoever it is you get your lines from,
and how it gets to us, the Bodog customer. More
specifically, how often are the numbers updated,
by whom and how secure is the system used for updating
such information, and how the software interfaces
with the players from all over the world. Also,
other aspects of the "business" side of
Bodog, such as who designed the software that you
use, and what it takes to keep the business running
smoothly from the technical side. It seems an article
like this would provide a sound piece of mind for
those just starting out using the Internet as a
sportsbooking option.
Thanks, and good luck!
TM
Hi TM,
Thank you for the email. This is a common question,
but I am afraid the answer isn't exciting enough
to provide the basis for an entire article. I have
touched on it in several articles, but how it works
is we simply use our own set of power ratings to
come up with a rough line and then run it by a few
experts for their opinion to form a consensus. From
there, and this is the most important step, we simply
post lines late and watch the market react to prices
at other books. Not very exciting, but it works
very well.
The analogy I use is selling cars. If I think I
can sell a model for $29,900 and still make a profit,
would I post that price if my nearest competitor
was having success selling them for $39,900? Of
course not. You could do very well selling them
at $38,000. Same goes with lines. If we think it
should be at -4.5 and the market is at -6, we wouldn't
post the -4.5, but might start at -6 and move down
quickly if the action merits a move or we could
open at -5.5.
All lines are entered manually. I know other books
have automated line changes but we believe some
things are better done by people (although the AI
is developing quickly). It's just tough for a computer
to understand the impact of Tom Brady being listed
as questionable, as an example.
Our bookmakers see cumulative totals for bets received
in real time and adjust as they see fit. Line changes
are sent out in real time.
The software is all ours; we started as a sportsbook
software company nearly 11 years ago. Technology
certainly has changed a lot in that time and being
involved from the start has certainly helped us
understand the challenges of a shifting environment
and to be prepared for anything. We have a full
time tech staff of 35 people to make it all work.
Have a great weekend, Rob
 
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Good luck with your wagers!
Please feel free to email me ([email protected])
or the guys at WagerOnFootball.com
with any questions you want answered and I assure
you they will have a good chance of making the column
(or a subsequent one) as I plan on making this a
monthly column. On behalf of me, my family, and
the entire WagerOnFootball.com & Bodog team,
have a great week everyone.
The enjoyment of your wagering experience with
us is my number one priority. Should you have any
questions, concerns, or comments, I will personally
ensure you are satisfied with your Bodog experience.
NFL
Sportsbooks Ratings Guide ranked by our Sport Books
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