Report: Mavericks Hire Ex-NBA Bettor Bob Voulgaris to Front-Office Position
The world's foremost NBA gambler is putting away his betting slips and coming on the inside.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe reported Bob Voulgaris has joined the Dallas Mavericks as Director of Quantitative Research and Development.
Voulgaris has made millions as an NBA gambler and rose to fame via NBA Twitter and media appearances, most notably on Bill Simmons' podcast. He has cultivated a reputation for his no-holds-barred opinions, particularly when it comes to coaching.
The hire also is yet another example of the NBA's shifting stance on gambling. The league partnered with MGM Resorts earlier this year to become the league's first gambling partner. MGM has agreed to give the NBA part of the revenue as part of the deal. The Supreme Court gave states the freedom to open their own sportsbooks earlier this year.
Voulgaris' position will focus on analytic data. His gambling research gave him an expertise on the matter, and he retained his own staff of quants to develop data to give his bets a competitive advantage. Wojnarowski's report indicated Voulgaris will focus on being a "strategic thinker" in the macro.
At the very least, this is an interesting hire that could lead to more professional teams dipping into the gambler pool to pluck the smartest minds. Because he is now an NBA employee, Voulgaris will no longer be allowed to bet on NBA games.
