LAS VEGAS — Stroll into this fourth-story abode, and a narrow kitchen to the left soon gives way to a field of fudge-colored carpet that might typically feature a dining table and massive sectional.
Instead, straight ahead, a wide desk faces the two-story wall to the left that rises, à la a chalet, even higher via a vaulted ceiling. Against that wall, nine large flat screens show different college football games.
The wings of that desk spread left and right with monitors, computers and keyboards, with stacks of folders, manuscripts, team guides and stat sheets a reach away.
For any sports fan who might like to risk a buck or two on the outcome of a game, this is utopia, a private sportsbook Shangri-La at the southern end of Las Vegas Boulevard.
Outside the sliding glass doors, the Spring Mountains seem close. The South Point hotel and casino is about a mile walk to the left.
Welcome to THE SWEATBOX, the brainchild of sportsbook veteran Rex Beyers that he hopes will become a steady streaming resource, via YouTube and Twitch, for global punters.
When I visited in October, Beyers had to make copies of those custom-designed, bookie-type football stat sheets at the local library, thanks to a down printer.
By Sunday, he had logged several dozen shows. The Bills had been a three-point favorite in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers held a 7-3 halftime advantage.
Beyers’ experience and knowledge came into play as he highlighted the Bills’ 156-87 edge in first-half yardage. The second-half line was Bills -3, which Beyers recommended to his audience.
The last 30 minutes was all Bills, in total yardage (211-78) and points (23-0). Those who entered THE SWEATBOX were given a halftime tip that became pure gold.
“The Bills in the second half were a great bet,” Beyers says. “They had total control of the line of scrimmage; there just were some silly turnovers in the first half. I was pretty vociferous about betting against Pittsburgh.
“I learned, at Ball State, to inform, entertain and educate, and I strive to do that every time, do the best I can to teach something, so you can come back next time.”
Globetrotter
Beyers, 47, has a rich résumé, experiences that stretch from Costa Rica to Gibraltar, including Las Vegas stops at the South Point, Caesars Palace and Westgate SuperBook.
An Ohio native with a Ball State journalism degree and many friends across the river at Churchill Downs, he savors a good sweat with his own money. Nearly 10 years ago, he took a three-month gig as an operational accounts manager to bookmakers around the world for the tech titan Sportradar on Gibraltar.
Ninety-day visas precluded a longer stay, which was fine with him. The exotic-sounding adventure, he says, wasn’t so exciting.
“Ten to 12 people were in the office,” Beyers says. “An Irish guy was the boss. A couple of guys from Greece were ultra-smart. We all got along, and it was super quiet.”
The business ran on normal weekday hours. Any client with a late-night or weekend issue waited till Monday morning for service. Beyers lived across the Spanish border in La Linea de la Concepciön. Refrigerators and freezers were small, so cooking meat meant buying it the day it would be consumed.
He became a tapas aficionado at a couple of establishments in a nearby square, adapting to 10 p.m. dinners.
It was a 12-minute walk to the airport runway. When planes weren’t landing or departing, people would cross the runway to get to the Sportradar office by the 1,400-foot limestone rock.
“La Linea was grimy and slimy,” he says. “A lot of people, not a lot of money. Places I went to, and stayed at, in Costa Rica were way nicer, not even close.”
A target
At the third annual Sports Gambling Hall of Fame dinner in August, inside the Galaxy Ballroom at the downtown Circa, emcee Mike Palm began the black-tie affair as he had the previous two years: by taking a public jab at Beyers, seated nearby at a circular table of luminaries and sports-betting figures, being unemployed.
Palm is Circa owner Derek Stevens’s main lieutenant.
The first time, he didn’t mind. “Any publicity,” Beyers says, “is better than nothing.”
After a year and a half as the head of -wagering for PlayUp USA, the funding had just recently evaporated, and he could laugh at himself. He had left the SuperBook for PlayUp, more than doubling his salary.
The third time?
“I was surprised,” Beyers says. “People asked me, ‘What did you do?’ I didn’t do anything. This time, I thought it was completely out of bounds.”
Partaking in a high-end college hoops fantasy draft, based on team victories, with key gambling figures served as his entrée to an inner Vegas circle.
Nearly every career move Beyers has made has been of his own volition, with a major disappointment coming at the South Point, where he acquired his state gaming license.
Beyers had been looking forward to learning from Chris Andrews, the property’s book director who had been battling a severe illness.
“If I were not in the hospital, things would have been a lot different, and Rex might still be here,” Andrews says. “I know he was like a sponge and wanted to learn all he could about this business.
“And I respected what knowledge he had. He’s a really smart guy and knows the business well. Unfortunately, I never really had a chance to work with him. I wish I had had more of an opportunity to work with him.”
Community
In early October, I yap with Beyers during a spare window at halftime of the Ohio State-Illinois football game. The Buckeyes were favored by 14½ points and lead 20-3 at the break.
To his audience, he recommends taking the Illini +7, the second-half line. That translates to Ohio State beating Illinois by a theoretical 24 points, which Beyers can’t envision.
Value, he says. Ohio State wins 34-16. Ticket cashed.
“There’s a pick!” he barks as he points at the James Madison-Louisiana game. Two of his outlets have their own antenna, so they’re real time, offering actual live bettable options. Others are addressed at halftime or during ads.
“People ask questions, talk about whatever they want to discuss,” Beyers says. “They might mention something I miss, so it’s about that community. I think and hope it’ll build itself up, maybe even get affiliates, sponsors and subscriptions.
“I have to modify some stuff, but I’m in no hurry. I want to make sure I get it right.”
Over the last two months, he sought two prominent industry openings. Neither panned out. He’d been bummed for a week, but he seems in good spirits when I speak with him Monday.
“I’ve found a good balance of play-by-play action and being myself, occasionally letting out an F-bomb,” Beyers says. “It’s professional, but if somebody does something incredible or stupid, it’ll be unfiltered.
“I’ll go down this streaming route, give this a crack. If I can get some eyeballs on it, give it a good run, at least I can say I gave it a good shot.”
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