A Numbers Game | August 4, 2026 | Hour 3

**Dustin Swedelson** (0:00)
The numbers told the story, they always do.

**Kelley Bydlon** (0:02)
It's one of those idiots who believe in analytics.

**Gadoon Kyrollos** (0:05)
This is a Numbers Game with Gil Alexander on VSiN.

**Dustin Swedelson** (0:13)
It is a Numbers Game, Dustin Swedelson, in for Gil Alexander, riding as always with Kelley Bydlon here, VSiN, the sports betting network. And when you look at the calendar, you see it turned to August, you know, football's around the corner, and it's become an annual tradition around here. You know, at Circa, it is time for BetBash. And joining us in studio to talk about, I can't believe we're saying it, BetBash 6

**Gadoon Kyrollos** (0:37)
Wow, yeah.

**Dustin Swedelson** (0:37)
Is Spanky, you know, on Pro Sports Better, host of Be Better Better, BetBash Creator, and on X at Spanky. And he joins us now in studio.
When you hear that, the sixth one, take us back to the Genesis, when this began, when the idea first formed, because at first, I'm sure you went, I have a great idea, but we all have great ideas. You never know if it's gonna work out and get executed. You've executed this marvelously, man. We're at year number six right now.

**Gadoon Kyrollos** (1:03)
Yeah, thanks for having me, guys. Thanks. This is, when we go back to the Genesis, as you said, Dustin, this was BetBash, where we took place in Jersey City. And this was at 2021, right at the tail end of COVID. And I myself was just waiting to try to meet people face to face, you know what I mean? Instead of just doing the whole online thing. And it was kind of needed by everybody. So I said, you know what? Let's try this thing out, a sports betting networking party. And it was just a one night event in Jersey City.
Had 220 people show up from all over the world for a one night event. And it was just a nice open bar. And we had to be outdoors because of the whole COVID policies. So we were at a rooftop bar.
And man, it was just a big hit. And then I knew right then and there, there's something here. It was kind of a proof of concept thing. And that's when I said, you know what? I gotta take this to bigger and better pastures. And that's when I talked to Derrick and met Matt Caff, who's a Sportsbook Director at the time. And I said, I wanna make this a multi-day event and bring it to Vegas. And Derrick was all in.

**Dustin Swedelson** (2:06)
I'm just curious, you know, cause you talk about meeting in person and we lived behind our computers. We lived with all the isolation for so long. And I think a lot of the effects of that were shown in sports betting Twitter with kind of the animosity and the anger and the way people operate. How much was that motivation for you as part of getting people together to kind of... Cause I think what I'm seeing when people come out here for this, they start becoming friends on social media when they probably weren't before and probably thought they didn't like each other before because they didn't know each other.

**Gadoon Kyrollos** (2:36)
Exactly. Everybody online is a little bit, you know, more on edge and a little bit, let's just face it, meaner. But once you see somebody in person, everybody, you know, lightens up and, you know, all of a sudden those, you know, the phone coupons as we call them and, you know, the trolls, they kind of just, you know, ease up and then everybody just says, hey, listen, we're all humans, we're all trying, we all love the same thing, we love to bet sports, we love talking about betting sports, we love discussing strategies and angles, and let's get together and maybe back home when you have a friend that might not be so much into it or you might be in a circle of friends that not everybody's into that, here everybody talks your language and that's what makes it so special.

**Dustin Swedelson** (3:13)
And we're on the same team.

**Gadoon Kyrollos** (3:15)
Yeah.

**Dustin Swedelson** (3:15)
It's us against the books, stop fighting with each other, we're on the same team here.

**Gadoon Kyrollos** (3:19)
Absolutely, and that's one of the main reasons why we have it at Circa is because we're trying to make people better bettors.
And we're trying to educate sports bettors on how to climb that ladder of sports betting. And you have to be able to do that in a sports book that welcomes all customers. And that if you win, you're not going to get limited, you're not going to get shown the door. And the only joint that would do that is Circa. So that's why it's a perfect fit.