Billy Walters Legendary Sports Bettor on CBS 60 Minutes
The CBS news show 60 Minutes has been running forever, it seems. It is one of the most popular weekly news hours in the United States. But I must admit, I was shocked to see the television show do what appears to be a complete 180 in a single week’s time.
I’m referring to the airing of its segment “Slot Machines: The Big Gamble“, which aired on January 9, 2011, followed by an expose on known gambling and sports betting extraordinaire Billy Walters just a week later. In its initial broadcast, 60 Minutes brought the nation to its trembling knees by admonishing the dangers of gambling. Oh, the woes of risking your hard earned money in any way you deem fit. How dare we consider using our extra cash to do with what we please!
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CBS chided Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell for his desire to decriminalize online gambling within his state. Subjects like underage gambling prevention and problem gambling were flung left and right in an effort to sway viewers into believing that online gambling, and gambling in general, was an evil pastime, reproachful and harmful to the nation as a whole.
The very next week, the CBS program’s Laura Logan is sidling up next to Billy Walters. For anyone who is familiar with Walters, or watched the last episode of 60 Minutes, you know that he proclaims a 57% sports betting win percentage, as well as the admirable accomplishment of leading a team of bettors through a roulette system that netted $3.8 million at an Atlantic City casino.
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Why 60 Minutes would present itself to be so avidly anti-gambling one day, and celebrate the triumphs of a professional gambling millionaire the next, is beyond me. The beautiful Laura Logan joined Billy Walters during a golf game where she commented on his gambling achievements by saying, “that’s a lot of money!”
Labeled the CBS Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, the lovely Ms. Logan never spoke a single word of dismay towards Las Vegas, sports betting or gambling in general, despite the program’s staunch rebuking of such activities a week prior.
Personally, I am offended that a news program that influences millions of viewers on a weekly basis would present such offsetting views without even waiting for the dust to settle from its first controversial airing. Feel free to leave your comments below as I would love to hear what others have to say on the subject.
I’m curious about how 60 Minutes decides on its varied gambling coverage.