What sports bettors can expect to get out of Bet Bash at Circa

Professional sports bettor Gadoon “Spanky” Kyrollos hosts a podcast called “Be Better Bettors,” and that’s exactly what he said gamblers can expect to become by attending his third annual Bet Bash at Circa.

“You want to become a better sports bettor? You come to Bet Bash,” he said. “You’re going to learn from others who are way more advanced than you, and you’re going to create synergies and networks together.

“To be successful in sports betting, take it from me, you’ve got to have friends. You’ve got to have a network. You can’t do it all by yourself.”

The sports betting networking conference will take place for the second straight year at Circa from Aug. 8 to 11 and will include expert panel discussions, a scavenger hunt with $20,000 in prizes, four open bars and a speed networking event that was popular at last year’s Bet Bash.

“The biggest part for me was trying to make it a fun time,” Kyrollos said. “Some of the individuals in the sports betting landscape are not the biggest social butterflies, so we thought about doing the speed networking event.

“You essentially have 15 five-minute meetings based on your interests and other people’s interests. People loved that last year. This kind of forces people to come out of their shell.”

The first Bet Bash was a one-night event in August 2021 in Kyrollos’ native Jersey City, New Jersey, that attracted 220 attendees. Last year’s multiday event in April drew 350 people, and Kyrollos hopes Bet Bash 3 attracts more bettors now that several events will take place in Circa’s more expansive Galaxy Ballroom.

“Everyone’s friendly and looking to help each other,” he said. “This is not just entertainment betting sports. People that come to Bet Bash love betting sports. But they want to learn how to get better, and that’s what Bet Bash is all about.”

Sports Gambling Hall of Fame

On one of the panels, Kyrollos will interview legendary sports bettor Billy Walters, who will be part of the inaugural class of the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame (sghof.com), which will be located in an enclave in the Circa sportsbook.

Walters and nine other bettors and bookmakers (five living, five in memoriam) will be honored in a Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which includes an open bar and four-course dinner, Aug. 11 that will serve as the capstone event of Bet Bash.

Other inductees in the 2023 class, voted on by a 16-person committee, are Michael “Roxy” Roxborough, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, Bob Martin, Jackie Gaughan, Jack Franzi and Charles McNeil, who invented the point spread. The final three inductees have yet to be announced.

Tickets for Bet Bash range from $749 to $999 and can be purchased at betbash.co.

Circa contest weekend

Circa Sports, which has increased the prize pool for its Circa Million V and Circa Survivor pro football handicapping contests to a record $14 million this year, will host its “Ultimate Contest Weekend” from Aug. 24 to 26.

Entrants to the $1,000-entry contests will be treated to open bars Aug. 24 in a welcome reception at Bar Canada at the D Las Vegas and on Aug. 25 at Circa’s Stadium Swim.

The “Circa Football Preview” will take place Aug. 26 at the Galaxy Ballroom, where a panel of sports betting experts and personalities will provide insight into the NFL season, contests and more. The event is free and open to the public.

Depending on the number of entries per each entrant, contestants also will be offered discounted or complimentary stays at either Circa, D Las Vegas or Golden Gate. Those interested can visit circasports.com.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.