Mavericks Give Former Professional Sports Gambler Front Office Job

The house always wins … and maybe now so will the Mavericks.

In further evidence that the sports community is embracing the gambling community – especially now that nationwide sports wagering has been legalized – the Dallas Mavericks have given a former professional sports gambler a position in their front office.

ESPN reporting with @Zachlowe_NBA: In another example of the league's changing attitudes on gambling, the Dallas Mavericks are hiring former NBA bettor Bob Voulgaris (@Haralabob) as Director of Quantitative Research and Development.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 5, 2018

Bob Voulgaris, who earned his living by analyzing the NBA and placing bets based on his research and information, is now the director of quantitative research and development in Dallas.

Known for his in-depth analysis of coaching strategy and referee tendencies, Voulgaris would often share his data on Twitter and gained a following.

For the Mavericks, Voulgaris will “examine on-court strategy in big-picture ways,” according to ESPN.

The Worldwide Leader also described him thusly in a 2013 profile: “A specialist in the NBA, his sports gambling success was almost completely the result of a kind of studied perspicacity, born of a talent for pattern recognition and the stamina to watch uncountable hours of televised basketball. In betting parlance, the man could suss out an edge — and in 2002, he discovered one that would line his pockets for years.”

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Evan Bleier

Evan is a senior editor with InsideHook who earned a master’s degree in journalism from NYU and has called Brooklyn home since 2006. A fan of Boston sports, Nashville hot chicken and Kentucky bourbon, Evan has had his work published in publications including “Maxim,” Bleacher Report and “The Daily Mail.”