From Vegas Legend to Modern Concerns: A Bookie's Life and Sports Betting's Explosion
Art Manteris spent much of his career under the bright lights of Las Vegas, navigating a world of gangsters, gamblers, and high rollers. In his new memoir, The Bookie: How I Bet It All on Sports Gambling and Watched an Industry Explode, co-written with investigative journalist Matthew Birkbeck, he recalls raucous times in Nevada and explains why the explosion of sports betting in the US presents serious risks.
A Defining Moment in Sports Betting History
Forty years ago, the New England Patriots faced the Chicago Bears in their first Super Bowl, losing 46-10. During that game, Bears defensive tackle William The Refrigerator Perry scored a touchdown, creating a crisis for Art Manteris, who then ran the sportsbook at Caesars Palace. Manteris had offered odds on Perry scoring, and as fans backed the popular player, the house stood to lose $250,000 if he did. When Perry ran into the end zone, gamblers collected handsomely.
The next day, Manteris was summoned to meet Caesars boss Henry Gluck, fearing the worst. To my shock and amazement, he congratulated me for putting up that prop, Manteris recalls. When he pointed out the financial losses, Gluck replied that no casino had ever received such worldwide, positive publicity from a single wager, attention they couldn't buy. This moment highlights the unpredictable nature of the gambling industry and serves as a key learning point in Manteris's book.
The Evolution of US Sports Gambling
The Bookie provides a front-row view of decades-long changes in the US sports gambling landscape, from Mob-connected casinos on the Strip to today's more corporate world. Since a Supreme Court ruling in 2018, legalized sports betting has spread across the US, moving beyond Vegas. The expansion has been too fast, Manteris warns. Some mistakes are being made by certain states. I've been a very big advocate over the years of a very clear separation between gambling on sports, and participating in sports.
Manteris grew up in a Greek American family in Pittsburgh, where his brother Jimmy and uncle Jack introduced him to gambling as a livelihood. He worked for 43 years in senior roles for Caesars, Hilton Hotels, and Station Casinos in Las Vegas. Birkbeck notes, The book is historical. Art is actually a living legend. I did not realize how historical the project was going to be.
High-Stakes Tales and Ethical Reckonings
Manteris's sportsbooks attracted high rollers, gangsters, and celebrities. For instance, billionaire MGM Resorts founder Kirk Kerkorian downplayed his wealth by driving a Ford Taurus station wagon to collect winnings. Athletes also gambled heavily; Charles Barkley bet six-figure sums, while Jaromir Jagr lost similar amounts. It was excessive ... done very unsophisticated, Manteris says of Jagr's gambling, noting he ultimately cut him off.
Phil Mickelson's involvement in betting is detailed, with Manteris recounting how Mickelson formed a syndicate and associated with noted gambler Billy Walters. He clearly did get in over his head on gambling, Manteris observes. He got involved with people he should not have. However, Manteris adds that Mickelson turned things around by paying restitution and quitting gambling after a 2016 insider trading case involving Walters.
Ethical challenges were constant. Manteris had to monitor employees for theft and watch for beards or runners gambling on others' behalf. He faced investigation by the Nevada Gaming Control Board over anonymous allegations of illegal bookmaking and underworld connections, but was cleared after over a year of scrutiny into ties with his brother and uncle.
Legacy and Modern-Day Concerns
Manteris established a solid legacy, creating the world's largest sportsbook at the Las Vegas Hilton and dealing with pro boxing promoters like Don King and Bob Arum. He advised against backing the Ultimate Fighting Championship, though his bosses ignored him and profited. Donald Trump appears in cameos, with Manteris doubting Trump's claim of winning $20m from a Mike Tyson fight.
Reflecting on personal losses, Manteris shares that his brother Jimmy faced financial difficulties before his death, and his grandson Michael died of leukemia, comforted by sports figures like Tyson and Pau Gasol. Now retired and in the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame, Manteris spends time with family but worries about the new gambling environment.
The question is youth gambling, easier access of gambling, he says. Of course that's going to happen. But when every game you watch, you're inundated with gambling ads, and you go to a stadium or arena, you're inundated with gambling ads ... I'm not an adversary toward gambling, or sports gambling. I'm a fan of sports, and sports gambling. But they have to coexist peacefully. Right now, it's not happening.
Professional sports leagues have shifted from viewing gambling as an adversary to embracing it, a change Manteris finds surprising. As gambling moves from Vegas casinos to phones everywhere, his memoir serves as both a historical account and a cautionary tale for an industry in flux.
