Biography
I got my first computer as a kid in the late ‘80s—a Tandy Color Computer 2 (picture). I was fascinated by programming in BASIC and spent hours writing my own code. Of course, I also loved playing games, especially casino games. Back then, computer casino games were pretty basic (pun intended), but they were still a blast! The first program I wrote on my own was a text-based version of blackjack in BASIC. I’m pretty sure it didn’t follow standard win expectations or randomness calculations, but at the time, I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
The Tandy Color Computer 2 didn’t have disks—it used a software cartridge slot on the side. I remember imagining cash coming out of that slot every time I won at blackjack, like an ATM. Who would have thought that less than a decade later, online gambling would be born—essentially bringing that fantasy to life?
In high school, I spent my math classes writing line generation programs on a TI-82 graphing calculator.(picture). (Thankfully, my programs perform a lot better today! I don’t handicap much because I know I’ll never assess a game as precisely as a computer. Sports betting is, at its core, just numbers. A betting line is built from calculated expectations, implied probabilities, and public perception—all of which are quantified into a single number: the line (odds). So, if the line is just a mathematical output, shouldn’t mathematics be able to dissect it and find edges? I believed so. I had some minor success, but I knew I was missing the bigger picture. And so, my journey continued.
After graduating high school and preparing for college, one of my graduation gifts was a new computer with a 56K modem—I could finally go online! The World Wide Web had only recently become a “thing,” and as I explored this new digital frontier, I stumbled upon my first online gambling site: Acropolis Casino at AcropolisCasino.com.
Excited by the discovery, I immediately signed up using my debit card. My dream of betting and winning real money through software on my own computer had become a reality. I ended up losing about $50, but I was hooked on the idea of online gambling.
As I was writing this, I thought, “Whatever happened to AcropolisCasino.com?” I hadn’t visited the site since the late ‘90s. After some digging, I found out the casino had shut down by 2000—I guess my $50 didn’t keep them afloat.
Out of curiosity, I checked, and the domain name was available. So, I figured, why not? AcropolisCasino.com was the first .com where I ever placed a bet, so I decided The Sharp Plays should own it.
Now, if you visit AcropolisCasino.com, it redirects to The Sharp Plays Twitter/X page. And honestly? I love it!
After my exciting but losing experience with Acropolis Casino, I was determined to break into the online gambling industry. In the ‘90s, most online gambling companies were run by American bookies who had moved offshore. While they knew the business of bookmaking, they had no clue when it came to programming or web design.
I thought, “I love this industry—why not reach out to every online gambling company I can find and see if I can work for them?” A classic pie-in-the-sky idea for a college kid.
I scoured the internet, tracking down every online gambling website I could and sent out emails. Two shops responded.
- One was a small-time bookmaker in the UK.
- The other? World Sports Exchange (WSEX)—at the time, the largest offshore sportsbook in its infancy.
WSEX.com’s design and programming were ahead of their time. Even today, their software would still hold up—simple, clean, efficient, and incredibly effective.
For a little nostalgia, I found some 1999 WSEX screenshots! Hard to believe it’s been over 25 years.
- Here’s the landing page (picture)
- Next, the main site after clicking through (picture)
- Here’s a page with the NBA lines for the day (picture).
- Their teaser and parlay platform was another basic yet incredibly efficient setup (picture).
- And, of course, the legendary WSEX futures markets, which traded shares of various teams (picture).
WSEX’s Legendary Futures & In-Play Markets
No sportsbook since has replicated the quality of WSEX’s futures and in-play, contract-based trading markets.
- You could buy and sell shares at any time during the season or even during a game.
- Betting on the Lakers to go on a run? Buy shares. If their odds improved, sell your position days or weeks later, long before the season ended.
- Didn’t know who would win the World Series, but sure it wouldn’t be the Mets? Sell short the Mets.
- Golf betting? Buy shares in Tiger Woods at the start of the tournament. If he had a great round, you could sell immediately and shift to another player or cash out.
For bettors, it was revolutionary.
Market Making on Sunday Night Baseball
One of my best WSEX memories? Being a market maker for Sunday Night Baseball!
WSEX made it seamless to buy, sell, sell short, and enter/exit positions during a game. Any time WSEX had a primetime betting market, I was there—selling shares, buying them back, making money off the bid/ask spreads.
So cool.
By 2003, thanks to my success as a market maker, I decided to launch my own company, providing services to offshore gaming operators and developers.
I’ll keep things intentionally vague due to the sensitive nature of the work, but suffice it to say, my business and client network grew steadily in the years that followed. Over time, my company worked in various capacities with many of the top offshore shops.
To this day, I continue to consult and maintain strong industry connections.
A Dedication to My Aunt
I dedicate my work—especially my success using mathematics—to my aunt.
She has since passed away, but she was like a mother to me, always there no matter what I needed. In high school, when I struggled with math problems involving ratios (yes, I had trouble with math), it was my aunt who helped me understand. She’s the one who instilled in me a love for math, a love that ultimately shaped my career in gambling.
When I told her I wanted to break into the gaming business, she wholeheartedly supported me—even when most others thought I was crazy. She was also there during my failures, always encouraging me to keep pushing forward.
My aunt was a huge sports fan. Every year, we had a tradition of watching the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament together. While she loved college basketball, her true passion was football—she was the biggest football fan I’ve ever known, man or woman.
Beyond her love for sports, she was best known as a teacher. She taught in a city school and was a student favorite. I can’t count how many times we’d be out together and a former student would run up to her, excited to reconnect. They’d hug her, eager to share their successes and express how much she had impacted their lives. I always knew she was special, but seeing how many lives she touched made it even more real.
To honor her legacy, I started an annual scholarship in her name, benefiting multiple students each year in her school district. She shaped so many lives in positive ways, including mine.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. ❤️
