BetBash 2026
Spanky
Tipping Points
& Speed Networking
By Richard Schuetz

“The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.”

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                                              Malcolm Gladwell,  The Tipping Point

 

As a longtime student of economics, I was often fascinated by how something could grow quantitatively, and then, at some point, become qualitatively different. In the physical world, one can lower the temperature of water, and it becomes something qualitatively different – namely ice. If one raises the temperature, it again becomes something qualitatively different from water – namely steam.

 

In studying populations and growth, a thing can be a village, and as it grows, it becomes something different, namely a town, and as this continues, it becomes a city. And this makes sense to us, for we would never tell people we were going to go visit the village of New York.

 

It was this notion of something growing arithmetically and becoming something qualitatively different that was continually on my mind as I attended the 2026 BetBash at the Circa Resort & Casino, August 4-7.

 

In late 2020, I received an email from someone calling himself Spanky, who asked whether I would be interested in appearing on his podcast, Be Better Bettors. He said he got my name from a friend. Spanky and I then got on the phone and visited a bit, and I did appear on his podcast in December 2020. It was great fun.

 

Not much happened after that, and then Spanky emailed me an invite to a party at a restaurant and bar called the Ashford in Jersey City, NJ, in August 2021. At the time, I was living in Central Pennsylvania, and it was an easy and enjoyable train ride to NYC, and Jersey City was just across the Hudson River. Why not?

 

In Jersey City, I immediately did what I do best: I got lost. I was wandering down the street when I heard someone call my name. The person came up to me and gave me a hug. He said his name was Spanky. He then walked my guest and me up to the party, and I spent the next three hours there eating, drinking, and just generally getting to know folks. It was a hoot. All told, there were slightly less than 300 people there, and the crowd was generally from the New Jersey area

 

Allow me to leap ahead to the BetBash 2026, just completed:

 

It was held in Las Vegas. It was held over four days. There were 850 attendees. During the speed networking (more on this later), there were 8000+ sessions. The event featured four open bars, 34 seminars/panels, and live podcasts. An amazing final black-tie evening filled the Circa Ballroom with a wonderful meal and the induction ceremony for seven additional people into the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame. The room was filled with gambling royalty. We then all retired to the Legacy Club, an amazing venue with an incredible view of Las Vegas and beyond. 

 

People from all 50 states and 15 countries were there. Most importantly, the energy was overwhelming. Time after time, I stood there thinking, “How did this happen?” 

 

Well, it happened because of Spanky and his team, pure and simple.

 

Allow me to repeat that, with emphasis:

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It happened because of Spanky and his team, pure and simple.

 

Several people from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, dropped in to see the conference as my guests. They were immediate hits, with everyone from Spanky to Mike Palm, Circa VP of Ops, dropping by to say hello and visit. And that was the spirit of BetBash. It was organic; there were no strangers, and it was four days of fun, thought, learning, and laughing. Everybody was glad to be there. In a post-event survey, 100% of respondents planned to be back next year.

 

And here is a quiz…why did it happen?

 

It happened because of Spanky and his team, pure and simple.

 

Now for the speed networking.

 

Every year we have done the speed networking event; I have entered the queue, but just asked whoever I drew a series of questions. Here are the responses I received from the 15 people I visited with:

 

1. Sex? 

This was a shutout: all 15 people on my schedule were male.

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2. Where from

• United Kingdom            3

• Canada                           3

• New York                       3

• UAE                               1

• AZ, SC, IL, DE, WA      1

 

3.​​​​​ Number of Betbashes attended?

• Average of 2.13

• Two people with 5

• A first for 7

 

4. Plan of returning?

• Yes, 15 people.

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5. Betting Experience

• Average of 15.6 years. Range 3-30 years.

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6. How identified? (2 people identified as pro/side gig)

• Pro 9

• Side gig 6

• Hobby 1

• Supplier 1

 

7. Lifetime W/L record? Twelve up, one even, one was close, and one honest loser)

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8. Pet Peeve about the industry?  Being limited dominated responses, variants of regulators never taking the players' side, unclean books, too many men here.

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9. Favorite place to bet? Primary answers were variants of "whoever will take my action," then Betfair, Bet 365, Draftkings, Circa, Polymarket, Nova, Hard Rock Bet all mentioned

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10. Last Words?

• It's all about relationships

• States and feds need to get their sh*t together

• Risk taking is invigorating

• Life is too shortConcerned about the future

• I love this place

• I love smart people

• Amazing community and learning environment

• This is great how great Spanky brings people together

• By Pisky – No risk, no story.

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