Legendary Las Vegas oddsmaker Michael “Roxy” Roxborough is to be honored for his outstanding contribution to the gambling industry by being inducted into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame.
Organizer SBC has revealed that Roxborough will be one of five members of the Class of 2020 to join the Hall of Fame at a ceremony during the second Betting on Sports America trade show in New Jersey this April.
Roxy, the founder and owner of Las Vegas Sports Consultants, is widely credited with revolutionizing the industry by pioneering the use of mathematical formulas and computer models.
Roxborough was also a co-founder of American Wagering Inc, the first U.S. bookmaking company to be publicly listed in 1996, and Instant Odds, the first site to supply real-time odds updates from Las Vegas casinos.
Michael “Roxy” Roxborough
A familiar figure to U.S. sports fans through his frequent media appearances, he also co-authored Sports Book Management: A Guide to the Legal Bookmaker in 1988, the first educational book for the sports betting business. He’s also number two on the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s list of the most influential sports figures of the 20th century, one of GQ magazine’s 50 most important people in sports, and among Sports Illustrated’s 50 greatest sports figures in Nevada history.
“It is an honor to be among the stars of the industry and I’m especially honored to be inducted with two Las Vegas friends,” Roxborough said. “This award is for all the people who worked for the Las Vegas Sports Consultants’ team for years without recognition.”
Joining Roxborough in the Class of 2020 are Raymond Lesniak (Former Senator New Jersey), Jay Rood (COO, Bet.Works), Victor Salerno (President, USBookmaking & US Fantasy Sports) and Sara Slane (Former American Gaming Association Sr. VP).
The Hall of Fame was established to celebrate the accomplishments of the stalwarts who have changed the face of the industry, and few individuals could fulfil the entry criteria better than Roxborough.
Previous inductees include former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Station Casinos VP Race and Sports Book Operations Art Manteris, bet365 Founder & CEO Denise Coates, Pinnacle CEO Paris Smith, Sportingbet Founder Mark Blandford, Sportradar Founder Carsten Koerl, Betfred Founder Fred Done, BetConstruct Founder Vigen Badalyan and Bookmaker Technology Consortium Director Howard Chisholm.
