Published on: February 2, 2026, 10:54 AM.

Updated on: February 2, 2026, 10:54 AM.

• A revealing book by Las Vegas betting legend Art Manteris uncovers the origins of prop betting, scandals in the NBA, and intricate gambling schemes.
• The book also discloses a surprising factor behind Buster Douglas’s victory over Mike Tyson in 1990.
• A warning about the fading boundaries between sports and betting emerged from a Mayweather-Pacquiao tip.

Boxing icon Mike Tyson didn’t exactly suffer a loss to 42-1 underdog Buster Douglas during what many consider the greatest upset in boxing history. As per a recent book by former Las Vegas oddsmaker Art Manteris, the real reason behind Iron Mike’s defeat was gonorrhea.

“Dr. Elias Ghanem served as both the chairman of the Nevada Athletic Commission and my personal physician, as well as Mike’s. Yes, he informed me,” Manteris shared with Casino.org.

“Before the match, Mike received extensive treatment and heavy doses of medication from a doctor, which resulted in his poorest performance.”

At 69, Manteris crafted betting odds during his tenure at Caesars Palace, the Las Vegas Hilton, and Station Casinos—long before sites like FanDuel and DraftKings emerged, when Las Vegas was the epicenter for betting and sports playoff outcomes.

This insight and many other secrets are explored in his book, The Bookie: How I Bet it All on Sports Gambling and Watched an Industry Explode, now available on Amazon.

The revelations include the NBA’s cover-up of a 2008 internal report exposing former referee Tim Donaghy’s involvement in fixing at least 25 games from 2005-2007, as well as a scheme orchestrated by notorious gambler Billy Walters, intending to grant him, golfer Phil Mickelson, and billionaire Carl Icahn early betting odds access at the Hilton.

Prop-a-Ganza

Manteris gained fame for being the mastermind behind what’s known as the first significant sportsbook prop bet: a wager on whether William “Refrigerator” Perry would score in the 1986 Super Bowl, proposed by sportsbook supervisor Jim Mastroianni and fledgling Caesars Palace ticket writer Chuck Esposito.

Bettors rushed to place their bets on this prop, resulting in Perry’s third-quarter touchdown costing the book a huge loss.

“We lost a quarter-million dollars on that single prop, a staggering amount back then, and I felt terrible about it,” Manteris recalled. “What on earth led to such a poor idea?”

The following day, Henry Gluck, chair of Caesars’ parent corporation, reached out to Manteris for the first time. He expected a reprimand but was instead greeted with praise.

“I was shocked — he congratulated me,” Manteris explained. “He noted that the publicity generated for Caesars Palace was invaluable. Everyone from marketing executives to corporate leaders was ecstatic, except me.”

This one bet did more than generate buzz for Caesars; currently, prop bets account for 60-70% of all Super Bowl wagers.

Behind the Scenes

Importantly, the insider knowledge regarding Tyson-Douglas wasn’t initially available to Manteris. It wasn’t until many years later that he learned of the details surrounding that fight. However, he did receive actionable intel right before the Mayweather-Pacquiao match on May 2, 2015, at MGM.

Having transitioned from Hilton to Station Casinos in 2001, Manteris had a tip from a reliable source indicating that Pacquiao was injured and unfit for the fight.

“Due to that alert, I adjusted Mayweather’s odds to minus 200 to safeguard the book, and the expected favorite won comfortably. But that experience left me unsettled,” he shared.

“I had previously organized multiple boxing promotions at the Hilton and was instrumental in securing numerous fights. Although I was no longer involved in that capacity, I couldn’t help but wonder: If I had still been promoting, would I have disclosed Pacquiao’s condition or kept it quiet to avoid causing problems?”

This ethical dilemma lingered with him.

“Post-fight, it became clear to me that there was an urgent need to separate sports betting from the actual sports themselves. My stance has always been firm on the legitimacy and integrity of sports betting.”

“However, leagues have shifted their views. The line between sports participation and betting has effectively vanished, and that reality deeply disturbs me.”