WAYNE ALLYN ROOT: Gambling guru
Gambling guru Henderson resident honored with a star on Las Vegas strip
By LAURA TUCKER
VIEW STAFF WRITER
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars honored Las Vegas sports handicapper, author, television host and commentator Wayne Allyn Root as the newest recipient of a star on the Strip in front of the New York-New York.
"It was a great honor to be considered, much less chosen, to receive a star," Root said.
Root is currently chief executive officer of GWIN Inc., the only publicly traded sports handicapping firm in the United States. More than 2 million people have called on his advice since 1991.
Root has written several books, including "Millionaire Republican," which will be released in September in paperback, and "The King of Vegas' Guide to Gambling," which hit shelves on Aug. 3.
Root also has appeared on several television shows and hosted many others, including most recently "King of Vegas" on Spike TV. "Wayne Allyn Root's WinningEDGE" will premier on the Discovery Channel at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays in September.
Root was honored in a ceremony on Aug. 15 at the ESPNZone at New York-New York. The star was scheduled to be placed in the ground over the course of the week.
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars is in its second year and has 12 honorees thus far, with more scheduled in the next few months.
Bob Alexander, president of the Las Vegas Walk of Stars nomination committee, brought the idea to Las Vegas from Palm Springs, Calif. Recipients are discussed and chosen by a 30-member committee based on criteria categories including show business, literary, pioneer or civic, humanitarian, sports or military.
The person or group who nominates each recipient must donate $15,000. Alexander said $750 is donated to a new United Way homeless shelter currently under construction, $2,000 goes to Clark County and the rest is used for the ceremony, manufacturing, insurance, public relations and ongoing upkeep and maintenance.
Each star weighs 180 pounds and is a 3-foot square slab of granite bearing the recipient's name and accomplishments.
Bruce Merrin, Root's publicist for 10 years, said he nominated Root because of his success and character.
"When you look at Las Vegas and sort of what Las Vegas represents, I thought Wayne was a beautiful example of a Las Vegas success story because he's taken a very interesting niche and become a superstar nationally," Merrin said. "He represented the entrepreneurial spirit of Las Vegas because he took his dream and made it a reality."
Root was born in the Bronx, N.Y., where his father worked as a butcher. While he was growing up, Root said everyone he knew bet on sports.
"I cleaned out every kid," he said.
Root said he gained popularity at age 16 when a reporter from a New York newspaper wrote an article calling him the next Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder. Snyder, who died in 1996, was an American sports commentator and Las Vegas bookie. Years later, Root became Snyder's co-host on television.
Root said he gambled his way through Columbia University and became nationally recognized as a handicapper.
In 2000, GWIN Inc. became a publicly traded company.
Root lived in Malibu, Calif., for 15 years and flew back and forth between California and Las Vegas. After Sept. 11, traveling became too time-consuming, he said, and he decided to relocate to Las Vegas.
Root now lives in Anthem and said the move was one of the best things he has ever done. It inspired him to write "Millionaire Republican," in which he describes how he was able to save money by not having to pay an income tax and owning his own business.
Root's next goal, he said, is to be Nevada's U.S. senator, and he said he might run in 2010 for Harry Reid's spot. Root, who describes himself as a Libertarian Republican, said he thinks Nevada voters are mainly Republicans who think like libertarians on social issues.
Root said he disagrees with the attempt to ban Internet gambling.
"It's one of the stupidest pieces of legislation in history," he said. "It reminds me of prohibition."
Despite Root's many accomplishments, he said being married to his wife for 15 years and raising three children is at the top of the list of what he is proud of.
He said he has done so well because of the gambling spirit of Americans.
"If you were afraid to risk, you wouldn't be in America," he said. "Our relatives had gambling in their blood. They took a great risk coming here. Gambling is in our blood."
Gambling guru Henderson resident honored with a star on Las Vegas strip
By LAURA TUCKER
VIEW STAFF WRITER
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars honored Las Vegas sports handicapper, author, television host and commentator Wayne Allyn Root as the newest recipient of a star on the Strip in front of the New York-New York.
"It was a great honor to be considered, much less chosen, to receive a star," Root said.
Root is currently chief executive officer of GWIN Inc., the only publicly traded sports handicapping firm in the United States. More than 2 million people have called on his advice since 1991.
Root has written several books, including "Millionaire Republican," which will be released in September in paperback, and "The King of Vegas' Guide to Gambling," which hit shelves on Aug. 3.
Root also has appeared on several television shows and hosted many others, including most recently "King of Vegas" on Spike TV. "Wayne Allyn Root's WinningEDGE" will premier on the Discovery Channel at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays in September.
Root was honored in a ceremony on Aug. 15 at the ESPNZone at New York-New York. The star was scheduled to be placed in the ground over the course of the week.
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars is in its second year and has 12 honorees thus far, with more scheduled in the next few months.
Bob Alexander, president of the Las Vegas Walk of Stars nomination committee, brought the idea to Las Vegas from Palm Springs, Calif. Recipients are discussed and chosen by a 30-member committee based on criteria categories including show business, literary, pioneer or civic, humanitarian, sports or military.
The person or group who nominates each recipient must donate $15,000. Alexander said $750 is donated to a new United Way homeless shelter currently under construction, $2,000 goes to Clark County and the rest is used for the ceremony, manufacturing, insurance, public relations and ongoing upkeep and maintenance.
Each star weighs 180 pounds and is a 3-foot square slab of granite bearing the recipient's name and accomplishments.
Bruce Merrin, Root's publicist for 10 years, said he nominated Root because of his success and character.
"When you look at Las Vegas and sort of what Las Vegas represents, I thought Wayne was a beautiful example of a Las Vegas success story because he's taken a very interesting niche and become a superstar nationally," Merrin said. "He represented the entrepreneurial spirit of Las Vegas because he took his dream and made it a reality."
Root was born in the Bronx, N.Y., where his father worked as a butcher. While he was growing up, Root said everyone he knew bet on sports.
"I cleaned out every kid," he said.
Root said he gained popularity at age 16 when a reporter from a New York newspaper wrote an article calling him the next Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder. Snyder, who died in 1996, was an American sports commentator and Las Vegas bookie. Years later, Root became Snyder's co-host on television.
Root said he gambled his way through Columbia University and became nationally recognized as a handicapper.
In 2000, GWIN Inc. became a publicly traded company.
Root lived in Malibu, Calif., for 15 years and flew back and forth between California and Las Vegas. After Sept. 11, traveling became too time-consuming, he said, and he decided to relocate to Las Vegas.
Root now lives in Anthem and said the move was one of the best things he has ever done. It inspired him to write "Millionaire Republican," in which he describes how he was able to save money by not having to pay an income tax and owning his own business.
Root's next goal, he said, is to be Nevada's U.S. senator, and he said he might run in 2010 for Harry Reid's spot. Root, who describes himself as a Libertarian Republican, said he thinks Nevada voters are mainly Republicans who think like libertarians on social issues.
Root said he disagrees with the attempt to ban Internet gambling.
"It's one of the stupidest pieces of legislation in history," he said. "It reminds me of prohibition."
Despite Root's many accomplishments, he said being married to his wife for 15 years and raising three children is at the top of the list of what he is proud of.
He said he has done so well because of the gambling spirit of Americans.
"If you were afraid to risk, you wouldn't be in America," he said. "Our relatives had gambling in their blood. They took a great risk coming here. Gambling is in our blood."
