On March 24th, 2019, Showtime is set to release “Action” a docuseries about professional sports betting in the United States after the federal repeal of the PASPA act.
Action will be a behind the scenes look at professional gamblers, bookies, handicappers, and oddsmakers during the 2018 NFL season. The docuseries will expand across four episodes until reaching the series finale at the 2019 Super Bowl.
Producers have confirmed that the series will feature a character-driven narrative documenting the effects of state-regulated sports betting in the USA. Some of the confirmed industry insiders are Dave Oancea and Jimmy Vaccaro.
Dave Oancea is a respected sports betting consultant who is regarded by many as one of the best sports handicappers of the decade. In 2016 he was wagering over $100,000 a week on professional sporting events. Dave rose to fame in 2015 when he picked the Kansas City Royals to win the World Series when experts chose them the finish last. His $100,000 bet turned into the highest paid future bet in sports betting history and earned him the nickname “Vegas Dave”.
Jimmy Vaccaro is a Vegas bookmaking legend who has conducted operations for several Vegas sportsbooks over his 40 years as a bookmaker. During the 80’s he was the bookmaker for MGM and the Golden Nugget. His bookmaking expertise has landed him numerous TV appearances for CNN and ESPN.
When referring to the show, Showtime’s Sports and Events Programming President Stephen Espinoza stated that “the world of sports gambling has fascinated Hollywood for decades. Through the lens of industry professionals and real-life gamblers within every virtual layer of the business – both legal and illegal- Action delivers a one-of-a-kind look as sports gambling enters a brave new world.”
Action will deliver an inside look at sports betting to a wider audience as many states are still trying to pass domestic sports betting laws. While most states can access legal online sports betting sites, there are few domestic options spread across the United States. In February of 2019, only seven states have enacted domestic sports betting laws within their state lines; Nevada, New Jersey, West Virginia, Mississippi, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
As sports betting continues to gather more followers across the USA and sportsbooks get pushed into the mainstream of American culture. It will be interesting to see if Showtime’s “Action” docuseries will sway any states that might be teetering on the edge of legal domestic sports betting.