Chris Andrews booked his first bet as a fifth grader. Kids would scrape together their milk money to play the parlay cards Andrews and his two cousins printed each week by hand. Through high school Andrews and his cohorts continued booking bets and operating card games. Andrews paid his own way through college, hustling bets and making book to fund his education.
After graduating cum laude from Robert Morris College, Andrews came west to Las Vegas. The next two years were spent at two of Las Vegas’ legendary sportsbooks, the Stardust and Barbary Coast, where he learned the old Nevada method of being a bookmaker. He took the knowledge from that experience and at twenty five was hired by Club Cal Neva. He turned the tiny Reno sportsbook into one of the biggest and most successful sportsbooks in Nevada. In 1991 he became a partner in the Cal Neva, but left in 2003 when his cousin bought the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. A short time later, the Golden Nugget was sold and Andrews went to work for American Wagering.
Later Andrews spent two years as a wealth manager, but his heart was still in the gaming industry. Cal Neva had been bought by William Hill and his old partners asked him to come aboard and help them through the transition. Once the sale was completed, Andrews explored various possibilities and realized his experience as a bookmaker, radio host and writer could be used to turn the tables on bookmakers and help the wagering public. He and his partners formed Against The Number to do just that.
follow Chris on twitter: @andrewssports Email Chris at [email protected]
