UPDATE
http://linemakers.sportingnews.com/...-las-vegas-sports-book-william-hill-departure
[h=1]Jimmy Vaccaro moves from William Hill to South Point[/h][h=2]'There 'A whole new wave of operation in Nevada'[/h]<iframe style="margin: 0px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 32px; height: 20px; visibility: visible; position: static;" id="I0_1376871717088" title="+1" tabIndex="0" vspace="0" marginHeight="0" src="https://apis.google.com/_/+1/fastbutton?bsv=o&usegapi=1&annotation=none&size=medium&hl=en-US&origin=http%3A%2F%2Flinemakers.sportingnews.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Flinemakers.sportingnews.com%2Fsport%2F2013-08-17%2Fjimmy-vaccaro-south-point-hire-las-vegas-sports-book-william-hill-departure&gsrc=3p&jsh=m%3B%2F_%2Fscs%2Fapps-static%2F_%2Fjs%2Fk%3Doz.gapi.en_US.YNSqJMGEDWM.O%2Fm%3D__features__%2Fam%3DEQ%2Frt%3Dj%2Fd%3D1%2Frs%3DAItRSTN1JOOGg2G9OwkFtj9xc3D_OIzkhA#_methods=onPlusOne%2C_ready%2C_close%2C_open%2C_resizeMe%2C_renderstart%2Concircled%2Conload&id=I0_1376871717088&parent=http%3A%2F%2Flinemakers.sportingnews.com&pfname=&rpctoken=85142979" frameBorder="0" width="100%" name="I0_1376871717088" marginWidth="0" scrolling="no" hspace="0" data-gapiattached="true"></iframe>
Tweet
<fb:like send="true" layout="button_count" href="http://linemakers.sportingnews.com/sport/2013-08-17/jimmy-vaccaro-south-point-hire-las-vegas-sports-book-william-hill-departure" width="90"></fb:like>
Follow The Linemakers on Twitter
Vegas veteran Jimmy Vaccaro
<!--
Print Article -->
By: Micah Roberts |
More Experts
Published: Aug 17, 2013
It was 1975 when Michael Gaughan, owner of the Royal Inn, wanted to open a sports book inside his casino. When he gave an eager kid from Pittsburgh named Jimmy Vaccaro the opportunity to run the book, he asked Jimmy, "Do you know how to run a sports book?"
Jimmy responded, "No," and Gaughan coolly replied, "Good, neither do I, so we'll learn together."
That's how the career of the most legendary bookmaker in Las Vegas history started, and last week, the two icons in the Nevada gaming industry were reunited. Gaughan, the son of Las Vegas pioneer Jackie Gaughan, hired Vaccaro to run the South Point's Race and Sports Marketing division, a position created specifically for Vaccaro, who held a similar position with William Hill U.S. before taking on this new role.
"It's a good feeling to be back with Michael," Vaccaro said. "He changed my life by plucking me out of the crowd way back then, and now we venture into a new area of the race and sports business together."
That new business is the South Point's mobile phone app that will allow customers to make sports wagers from anywhere within the state. The first of many duties Vaccaro will have in his new role will be getting as many Las Vegas sports bettors as possible to sign-up for accounts and make wagers. Vaccaro is already at work setting up his marketing plan and expects to debut the product within two few weeks.
Bringing Vaccaro into the mix shows how serious Gaughan is about making this a successful venture. The future of the Vegas sports book industry is already happening, and the South Point wants to get its brand of booking out there for everyone to enjoy, regardless of where they live in the state. Sports book director Bert Osborne has created a consistent product that local bettors have enjoyed for the past 20 years, and now it's Vaccaro's job to grab more of the market so everyone with a phone can bet against those fair numbers Osborne posts daily.
"In the next three years, there will be a whole new wave of operation in Nevada," said Vaccaro. "The mobile app is just the beginning. You don't want to be the only book in town without the mobile app and have everyone else roll by."
Some of those new things that all Nevada casinos are preparing include the possibility of interstate wagering, where Nevada will have an edge over other states because of already adhering to stringent Nevada Gaming Control rules. If the time ever comes when the gates are open to take action from the 49 other states, the state’s casinos will position themselves to be able to flip a switch and be ready to take action.
Vaccaro himself is a brand, as well as the most well known Nevada bookmaker across the country. If you asked casual sports bettors or fans to name a Las Vegas sports book director, chances are Vaccaro's name would be the one most mentioned. By attaching Vaccaro's face and brand to the South Point, the book gets a running start into any venture, and it begins with its mobile phone app that will be competing with William Hill, Station Casinos and Cantor Gaming, which are already taking bets via mobile.
In addition to Vaccaro's first task – the mobile app – he'll also be promoting several other South Point happenings, such as race book promotions and possibly the casino’s online poker venture.
He'll also be featured much more often on The Linemakers on Sporting News, as
our videos are filmed at the South Point sports book.
The Gaughan and Vaccaro marriage proved to be a successful one during their early days at the Royal Inn, and that carried over to the Barbary Coast, where their success in the book almost
single-handedly forced casinos, like Caesars Palace across the street, to build their own books. Chances are, their second go-around together will prove to be just as successful as the industry continues to change.
--- lets have a bash at SP !!!!