Popular Casino Author Decries Proposed FOX and CMT Gambling Shows

A popular casino gambling author has come out against two proposed casino- based television shows.

Steven Bourie, who wrote the American Casino Guide and other celebrated casino gambling books and guides, has condemned CMT’s “Man vs. Vegas” and the Fox Reality Network’s “Double or Nothing,” using angry words.

“It’s so stupid, it’s unbelievable…Showing bad gamblers making bad bets is very irresponsible” said Bourie.

In Fox’s “Double or Nothing,” the idea is to find a person who is willing to sell everything he or she owns in order to risk the liquidated funds in a casino. One spin of the Roulette wheel will either double a contestant’s possessions, or cause the contestant to leave the studio without even the clothing on his or her back.

Fox is billing the show as the story “of one incredible risk taker who engages in the bet of a lifetime.” The contestant, according to the show’s website, must be 21 years old, “financially and mentally sound,” and with no dependants.

“Double or Nothing” is actually based on the now- famous real- life casino gambling escape of a London man named Ashley Revell. Revell sold his possessions, including his home and car, to raise $135,300, which he took to the Roulette Wheel at the Plaza Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. He risked the entire amount, in one fell swoop, on red. Revell won, taking home $270,600, minus a generous $600 tip for the dealer.

Bourie maintains that Revell was even luckier than some might think. Although it is widely believed that Roulette odds are 50/50, Bourie warns that this is nothing more than a popular misconception. The American version of the Roulette wheel, which has two zero spots that are neither red nor black, carries a casino house advantage of 5.26%. It is actually, from a player’s perspective, “one of the worst bets in the casino,” said Bourie.

Bourie said that trying to replicate Revell’s lucky bet on television will send a wrong, and possibly very dangerous, message about gambling to viewers. “What are they trying to prove?” he asked. “Gambling should be looked at as a form of entertainment, enjoyed by players who set a budget and not as a quick fix to try and double one’s net worth.”

David Lyle, who is the General Manager and spokesman for Fox’s reality television division, called Bourie’s conclusions untrue and unfair.

“We’re looking for someone one who lives their life on the edge. I don’t think you can extrapolate from that that we’re going to be encouraging compulsive gambling behavior … irresponsible gambling … We’re not saying this is the way you should live your life,” said Lyle.

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