Bob Martin

Learning the trade before Nevada

The Sun’s obituary traces Martin through betting activity in New York and Washington before his move to Las Vegas in 1963. He joined Harry Gordon’s Churchill Downs book. His career bridges the earlier independent betting shop and the sportsbook inside a hotel casino. [1]

Churchill Downs to the Plaza

Martin managed Churchill Downs in the 1960s and early 1970s, then the Union Plaza book. The Sun’s later retrospective identifies him as a leading national oddsmaker of that period. His influence depended on the reputation attached to his numbers, in a market with very different information tools from today’s. [1] [4]

A reputation remembered

Reporting on his March 2001 memorial brought together bookmakers and colleagues from across the city. Their recollections emphasized personal trust as well as skill. Read those tributes as evidence of how his peers regarded him, rather than as a statistical ranking of every bookmaker. [3]

Following the next generation

Sonny Reizner worked under Martin at Churchill Downs. Following that connection leads to the Castaways and its football contests. Following the larger change in the business leads to Roxy Roxborough’s consultancy: a different way to distribute the information that Martin’s contemporaries sought from a respected individual. Las Vegas Sun Sports Gambling Hall of Fame

Key dates

1. 1963

   Arrives in Las Vegas to work at Churchill Downs. [1]

2. 1960s–early 1970s

   Manages the independent Churchill Downs book. [1]

3. 1970s–early 1980s

   Runs the Union Plaza sportsbook. [1]

4. March 7, 2001

   Martin dies, as reported the following day. [1]

5. March 2001

   Industry colleagues gather to remember him. [3]