Action

"Action" (2020 release; 4 episodes of each about 55 min.) is a new documentary TV series about sports gambling. As Episode 1 opens, it is February 3, 2019, the day of Super Bowl 53, and oh by the way also the single biggest sports betting day of the year. We see lots of enthusiastic people in Vegas casinos watching the game, with lots of hooting and hollering. We then go to "NFL Week 1, 6 months before the Super Bowl", as we get introduced Bill Krakomberger, a professional sports gambler. "I'm not playing for fun, it's a business for me," he comments. Then we get to know Kelly Stewart, a professional handicapper and one of the few very visible women in a very male-dominated industry. She also points out that it's just a business. That business received a jolt when on May 14, 2018 the Supreme Court's ruling opened the door for legalizing sports gambling in all 50 states. At this point we are less than 15 min. into Episode 1, and the table is set for the remainder of the episodes.

Couple of comments: this documentary brings an in-depth look at the world of sports gambling. The documentary makers introduce us to a number of players, from the high-risk gambler to the amateur gambler, and how they make their way through this. The documentary of course also looks into the darker side, including the illegal bookies (who still thrive, apparently) and the gambling addicts who simply cannot walk away from it but instead go "chasing" to make up for recent losses. Whether you like sports gambling or not, the war numbers make clear that it has thrown a life line to places like Atlantic City, whose casinos and racing tracks are rising once again from the ashes on the sole strength of legal sports gambling. I personally love sports but couldn't care less about gambling of any kind, including sports gambling, it simply doesn't do anything for me. But I agree that it was long overdue to legalize sports gambling, if nothing else so as to bring these billions of dollars out of the wood works into the open.

"Action" aired recently on Showtime, and is now also available on SHO On Demand and other streaming services. If you have any interest in sports gambling (even if you're not a sports gambler like myself), I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

Great look into the business of sports bettting. Both from the casual fan's and professional bettor's perspectives.

Hope they make more episodes.

The ticker shows Miami Dolphins hosting the Detroit Lions also Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors. Those games were played on 10/21/2018, not during NFL week 1.

Who edits this stuff?

The series does show people flaunting money, but it also shows some of the same people losing big bets. Its a pretty neutral look as it shows the highs and lows, and doesn't sugarcoat betting, and doesn't demonize it either.

If you are at all interested in exploring the betting world, I would definitely recommend it.

(note the first episode deals with introducing the characters and talking about the economics and current legal standing, but if you watch the 2nd-4th episode it gets more into some of the hardships for some of the characters, which was just as interesting, and made it more balanced.)

I'm not expecting a documentary about sports betting to be hours of non-stop action, but Sweet Hesus this is dull. From the oddsmaker woman with vocal fry to the posers who brag about having 'haters' - it's just a snoozefest of people self-hyping their talent and others stating the obvious. WHat an incredible revelation: Las Vegas did a booming sports betting business when it was illegal everywhere else - and now that it's legal, other states are enjoying the money from it and Las Vegas has taken a hit? Who would have guessed? Skip this and watch a college basketball game. Or even better - pick a college basketball game, put some money on it and then watch that game.