Billy Walters Biography
Billy Walters is an American businessman, philanthropist, New York Times best-selling book, and one of the most successful American sports bettors of all time, with a 30-year winning run. Walters was convicted of insider trading and sentenced to five years in jail, which was eventually commuted.
How old is Billy Walters? – Age
He is 77 years old as of 15 July 2023. He was born in 1946 in Munfordville, Kentucky, United States.
Billy Walters Family
When Walters was 18 months old, his father, an auto technician, died. His mother, an alcoholic, abandoned her son and two children shortly after Walters’ father died. His grandma reared him in a house without running water or indoor plumbing.
Walters attributes his strong work ethic to his grandmother, a staunch Baptist. While raising seven children, she worked two jobs: cleaning houses and washing dishes. Walters acquired a $40 bank loan for a motorized lawnmower to start a grass-cutting company when he was seven years old. He obtained a second loan for $90 to start a paper route when he was nine years old. Walters’ grandmother arranged both loans.
When Walters was 13, his grandmother died, causing him to relocate to Louisville, Kentucky, to be with his mother. He worked two jobs there, one in the morning at a bakery and one in the evenings at a petrol station. He rented a basement room from his mother, who cost him $10 per week. Before finishing high school, he married and had a child. The marriage ended in divorce.
Billy Walters Wife
He is married to Susan Walters. The couple has three children.
Billy Walters Book
Walters said in a February 2022 interview with VSiN that he was co-writing a memoir with journalist and best-selling author Armen Keteyian. According to ESPN, professional golfer Phil Mickelson is concerned about the planned book and the reputational harm it may do.
The book, titled Gambler: Secrets from a Risky Life, was published by Simon & Schuster in August 2023. It tells the tale of Walters’ life and contains two chapters on his sports betting techniques and methods. Walters also discusses his estranged connection with Phil Mickelson and his view that if the golfer had testified during the insider trading trial, he would not have been convicted. The book went on to become a New York Times best seller.
Billy Walters Gambling
When Walters was nine years old, he wagered the money he earned from his paper route on the New York Yankees to win the 1955 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers won, and Walters lost his wager, but this did not prevent him from gambling in the future. Even as late as 1982, Walters was a losing gambler. By the age of 22, he had lost $50,000. Walters once lost his house by chucking coins. The winner was not given possession; instead, Walters agreed to repay the loan over the following 18 months.
Walters’ success shifted in his mid to late thirties. In June 1986, Walters demanded a $2 million freeze-out with Caesars Atlantic City at the roulette tables. Walters was believed to have lost $1 million at the Las Vegas blackjack tables at least twice. Caesars, on the other hand, refused his request. Walters then presented his proposal to the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel, which was then known as the Golden Nugget, and it was accepted.
Walters and his gaming companion transported $2 million to the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel cage. They recognized a tilt in the wheel and bet on the 7-10-20-27-36. They earned $3,800,000 after 38 hours of play, breaking Richard W. Jarecki’s 1971 record of $1,280,000 at the San Remo Casino in Monte Carlo. Three years later, his “Syndicate” had won $400,000 in a Las Vegas casino and another $610,000 at the Claridge Casino in Atlantic City. Walters also won the 1986 Super Bowl of Poker at Lake Tahoe (also known as Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker or SBOP) for $175,000.
Billy Walters 60 Minutes
Walters’ distaste for Wall Street is one of the reasons he agreed to speak with “60 Minutes” – an opportunity, he says, to demonstrate that the gambling industry is not as sleazy as most people believe. He stated in the interview that he met a lot of criminal characters and robbers.
Billy Walters Sports Betting
Walters joined the Computer Group in the 1980s, which employed computer analysis to examine sports results. Walters has only one losing year in 39 years, including a 30-year winning run. Despite finishing with a deficit for a few months, he was always profitable at the end of the year. Walters wagered on basketball, football, and baseball. Walters made $3.5 million betting on the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. Because of his reputation, Walters sometimes made bets through “runners” so that bookmakers were ignorant of the person behind the wager.
Walters won a $2.2 million wager on the University of Southern California beating the University of Michigan in January 2007; USC won, 32-18. Walters estimated in 2011 that a successful year would net him between $50 and $60 million.
Walters was inducted into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame in 2023, with Billy Baxter, “Roxy” Roxborough, and “Lefty” Rosenthal, at the Circa Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. “BIlly Walters is known as the greatest sports bettor of all time,” according to his plaque. He is respected by every major bookmaker in the world and is well-known for his charitable contributions to a variety of organizations.”