The son of a legendary New York bookmaker, Steve Budin learned the ins and outs of taking bets at an early age. By the time he was sixteen he was already taking action from his schoolmates, their parents, even his teachers. He graduated to running high-roller excursions to Las Vegas, where he plied his wealthy clients with sex and drugs and watched as the casinos made a fortune on their losses. But then one day Budin had a vision that would change the gambling industry forever. He moved to Central America and began taking bets over the telephone, wresting bettors from the clutches of the corner bookmaker and laying the foundation for the internet gambling revolution to come. First in Panama and later in Costa Rica, Budin's company raked in hundreds of millions of dollars. Along the way he had to navigate the treacherous waters of corrupt government officials, shady businessmen, and technological difficulties to emerge as the father of the modern offshore sports gambling industry. His vision, along with his ambition and charismatic leadership, brought him to the heights of success in his tropical paradise, where every night was a party and every day presented a new chance to make a fortune. Only the intervention of the U.S. government was able to bring his dramatic success to an end. This is his story, in his own words, as only he could tell it. It's absorbing reading for anyone interested in the big business of sports gambling, modern entrepreneurship, or a first-hand look at what it's truly like to live the high life.
