Jimmy Vaccaro back in action in Las Vegas at South Point book
Jimmy Vaccaro treated some old friends in Las Vegas to lunch Friday and promised on Twitter to buy a bunch of hot dogs for bettors at the South Point sportsbook when the NFL regular season starts.
“Great to use the comp stamp again,” he tweeted. “I will buy 200 hot dogs on opening pro day but can’t line up yet.”
Yes, six months after the colorful Vaccaro left Las Vegas following 44 years in the sportsbook industry for a job promoting Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, the venerable bookmaker has returned to his role as South Point oddsmaker.
Perhaps nobody is more pleased to see Vaccaro — who declined comment — back behind the counter in Las Vegas than South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews.
“I call him my consiglieri, my big brother, however you want to label it,” Andrews said. “I’ve known him for over 50 years and it seems like we just get closer all the time. I’m so glad to have him back, I can’t tell you.
“I told him from the beginning that I didn’t want him to go in the first place.”
Andrews is recovering from a bone marrow transplant for a form of blood cancer near the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles. He’s targeting an Oct. 21 return to his office at the South Point.
“I’m on the road to recovery. But I still have a long way to go,” Andrews said. “I’m looking forward to getting back there. I love those guys and I love the business. I miss it, for sure.
“I still call in every day. I have a great crew there but it’s nice to have that one guy (Vaccaro) you always look to for guidance. It’s nice having him there.”
South Point prop
While recuperating in LA, Andrews was on the phone with Vaccaro and Gaughan Gaming sportsbook director Vinny Magliulo when Vaccaro came up with an idea for a college football prop: the total combined regular season losses for Alabama and Clemson.
Over 1½ is minus 130 and under 1½ is plus 110.
“It seems like most people like the under. But I’ve been seeing this for years,” Andrews said. “They’re looking at things priced for perfection. If (Alabama quarterback) Tua (Tagovailoa) or (Clemson QB Trevor) Lawrence go down or there’s a rash of injuries, it’s not going to look so good.
“I know both teams are double-digit favorites in every game but double-digit favorites lose.”
Andrews said the prop has garnered more attention than action so far.
VSiN on local radio
The Vegas Stats & Information Network, which broadcasts from a studio in the South Point sportsbook, started airing shows on local radio Monday on KBAD-AM (920) through an agreement with the BetR Network.
“Follow the Money,” with hosts Mitch Moss and Pauly Howard, will air from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, followed by “My Guys in the Desert” with Brent Musburger, Magliulo and other co-hosts from 5 to 7 p.m., and “The Edge” with Matt Youmans and Jonathan Von Tobel from 10 p.m. to midnight.
VSiN also will air the “Lombardi Line” with Michael Lombardi on KBAD from 9 a.m. to noon weekends and “Betting Across America” with different hosts from noon to 2 p.m. weekends. VSiN, which broadcasts 24-7, expanded Monday to 17 hours (from 10) of live programming weekdays.
“Follow the Money” also airs on NESN and MSG Networks, and Moss and Howard — former ESPN 1100 radio hosts — earned a shoutout on ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” during the Yankees-Red Sox game.
“That show’s blown up,” VSiN CEO Brian Musburger said. “I think they’re on their way to having one of the biggest shows on morning radio across the country.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.