Famed Sports Betting Figure Billy Walters Preparing for Autobiography Release
Billy Walters, known as "the Michael Jordan of sports betting," will release his first book, "Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk," on August 15, according to Simon & Schuster. Co-written with journalist Armen Keteyian, the autobiography reveals Walters' life in rural Kentucky, his move to Las Vegas in the 80s, and how he became the city's most feared sports bettor.
With an incredible winning streak of 36 consecutive years in sports betting, Walters has placed bets worth hundreds of millions annually, including a whopping $3.5M bet on the 2010 Super Bowl. However, readers will likely be most interested in the chapters about his four-year prison stint for insider trading.
Walters, now 76, told Brent Musburger in a VSiN.com interview, "This isn't a vanity book. I'll let the public decide for themselves whether I was guilty or innocent from their personal standpoint... but this is a real book. When they read it, they'll see that I've shared everything with them."
According to authorities, Walters used insider information from the former chair of dairy company Dean Foods to make illegal trades, earning millions. A jury found him guilty in 2017 and sentenced him to five years in a Florida federal prison.
While in prison, visits by his work team and friends in Carlsbad, California, kept Walters occupied during the weekends. Football was not on his mind, and he only watched one Super Bowl in its entirety.
Walters was released from prison in 2020, served the rest of his term at home due to COVID-19 precautions, and had his sentence commuted by then-President Trump.
Phil Mickelson's Role
Walters' book also discusses his relationship with pro golfer Phil Mickelson, who allegedly owed him money. Authorities claim that Walters provided Mickelson with a tip on an illegal stock trade, which the golfer used to pay off his debt.
Mickelson was never charged by the SEC but agreed to return over $1 million in trading profits and interest. He also declined to testify at Walters' trial, which became a contentious issue for Walters after his conviction.
According to VSiN.com, Walters considers himself and Mickelson "friends" who had a six-year gambling relationship. However, Walters mentioned this in the past tense during the interview with Musburger.
Walters commented that he's resumed sports betting since being released, "I went back in 2021 and redid a lot of the things that we were doing... I've been engaged and involved, but not as involved as I was. I'm only doing primarily football."
The full interview between Walters and Musburger will be aired on VSiN.com on Thursday, February 9, at 9 p.m. ET.
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