Schuetz: BetBash 2025 Delivers, Speed Networking Again Proves Revealing

“No risk, no story.”

— Sports betting entrepreneur “Pisky,” at BetBash 2025

I use the iPhone Wallet app to store most of my digital passes, including airline boarding passes, tickets to concerts, plays, and the like. I was recently using it to hold my boarding pass for a flight to Las Vegas for the fifth annual BetBash, and as I opened the wallet, I noticed that I had several hundred expired digital documents still on the app. As I settled into my flight, I decided to take a look at the expired passes, and it was a trip down memory lane.

One of the passes I stumbled upon was from 2021, and it was for the first BetBash, held at The Ashford in New Jersey. The date of the event was Aug. 25, 2021. The Ashford, a restaurant and lounge in Jersey City, features a very large rooftop dining and bar area.

I was sent two tickets to the 2021 event by Gadoon “Spanky” Kyrollos, whom I met through what was then known as Twitter. Earlier in the year, he had contacted me by direct message, asking me to be on a podcast he produced. We did that, and it was an enjoyable time. I was then surprised when he sent along the tickets to the Jersey City event, for I had never met him personally. 

My girlfriend and I always look for an excuse to visit New York City from Central Pennsylvania, and since it’s just across the Hudson River from Jersey City, I accepted. I also wanted to meet Spanky in person. 

When we got to Jersey City, we were walking along Newark Ave., a bit lost (note: I am directionally challenged — thank god for GPS), and I heard someone shout out my name. It was Spanky. He welcomed me as if he had known me for years, was most gracious to my girlfriend, and walked us up the stairs to the event. I took out my wallet (physical, not digital) at the greeting table to pay for the tickets, and Spanky snapped at me, “Put that away.”

From humble beginnings …

The event started at 7 p.m., and we lasted about 3 hours, although much of the group, I was told, stayed until about 3 a.m. One thing I have learned about BetBashers is that they enjoy discussing sports and betting, and they also like “an occasional cocktail.” Here, they could do both, and it appears that most did until early in the morning.

At that first BetBash, there were about 300 attendees. I am writing this article from the fifth BetBash, now held at Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. There are just under 700 attendees, and the majority traveled to Vegas from out of state.

It is now a four-day event, featuring a golf tournament, a poker tournament, cocktail parties, numerous panels and seminars, speed networking, and a great deal more. Plus, creating the most amazing betting conference ever for bettors was not enough for Spanky, for he was also the driving force for the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame, which dovetailed into BetBash with its induction ceremony held on the Friday night of BetBash week.

I have written about BetBash before, including here and here, and to keep it simple, it is incredible. It and the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame were born from the soul of Spanky, as well as with a great assist from the Bank of Spanky. And I can assure you, this is an act of love for Spanky, who has gone into the red to pull all of this off.

I would also suggest that no one enjoys BetBash more than Spanky — and everyone enjoys BetBash.

Let’s network!

As mentioned, one of the features of BetBash is the speed networking session, which I have always attended, albeit with the caveat that I never actually speed network. I always conduct a quick five-minute interview at each networking stop, and to date, no one has seemed to mind me asking all the questions once they understand it is for an article.

At this year’s speed networking event, 510 attendees participated in 15 sessions, resulting in 7,650 conversations. That is a lot of talking.

Here is what I learned from my 15 conversations:

Gender?

All 15 interviews were with males (women do attend, but not in substantial numbers).

Age?

The average age was 45 years, with the youngest being 28 and the oldest 71.

Residence?

California 4, Nevada 3, Pennsylvania 2, New York 2, and one each from Canada, Illinois, Michigan, and Massachusetts.

Number of BetBashes attended?

The average was 2.8, with this being the first for two people, and two people had attended all five.

What do you bet?

• Arbitrage
• Everything (4)
• NBA/NFL
• NFL props and arbitrage
• NASCAR, WNBA, college football, NFL, and future prop parlays
• Soccer, pro hoops, and football
• Soccer and tennis
• Vendor who does not bet (2)
• Only golf
• NFL props
• MLB

Are you a winner or loser in betting? (I did not bring a lie detector to the interview)

10 winners, one even, one small loser, and one up and down (and two vendors)

Best part of BetBash?

• Networking (6)
• Meeting people (3)
• Making connections (2)
• Tax seminar
• Rooftop party
• Interactions in bars
• Meeting you, Richard (did I mention I did not bring a lie detector?)

Worst part of BetBash?

• Nothing (3)
• Dry air
• Too many people (the networking area was crowded) (4)
• Waking up early
• Not long enough
• The flight to Vegas was torture
• People who do business the old way
• Hangovers
• Not enough women
• Too many panels

What would you add to BetBash?

• Nothing (8)
• Get modern
• Blockchain & crypto
• Private events
• Basketball tournament
• More speed networking
• Transparency
• Less time between panels and seminars

Do you have a quote or saying for me?

• “Today is the best day of my life.” — Zack P. 
• “Anyone in the industry can get value here.” — Anonymous
• “There is something to learn from everyone.” — Anonymous
• “You will not find me on Twitter, but you will find me in the Yellow Pages.” — Anonymous
• “The system is the system.” — “Florian“
• “Do what is best for everyone.” — Anonymous
• “Learn how to quantify your edge.” — Richard Munchkin
• “No risk, no story.” — “Pisky“
• The best part of life is learning about the gambling industry.” — Joshua Soto
• “It is better to try and fail, than to fail to try.” — Vinny from New York

On an impressionistic level, I again found BetBash incredible, and that feeling becomes hard-baked in visiting with the folks in the speed networking session. The enthusiasm is overwhelming, and everyone is enjoying themselves and having fun.

I attended my first gaming conference in the 1970s in Las Vegas. Since that time, I have attended hundreds around the world. From these experiences, I can safely say that there is nothing like BetBash. It is a total hoot, and we all owe Spanky for that.

—

Richard Schuetz entered the gaming industry working nights as a blackjack and dice dealer while attending college and has since served in many capacities within the industry, including operations, finance, and marketing. He has held senior executive positions up to and including CEO in jurisdictions across the United States, including the gaming markets of Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno/Tahoe, Laughlin, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In addition, he has consulted and taught around the globe and served as a member of the California Gambling Control Commission and executive director of the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission. He also publishes extensively on gaming, gaming regulation, diversity, and gaming history. Schuetz is the CEO of American Bettors’ Voice, a non-profit organization dedicated to giving sports bettors a seat at the table.