Long before smartphones and prediction markets, a group of gamblers was using mathematics, computing and engineering to gain an edge over casinos. Their experiments would push the limits of technology decades before many of those tools became commonplace.
Bloomberg investigative journalist Kit Chellel discusses his book "Lucky Devils: The True Story of Three Rebel Gamblers Who Beat the Odds and Changed the Game." Chellel tells the story of gamblers who built hidden computers to predict roulette outcomes, developed early poker programs and used mainframes to dominate sports betting.
The conversation explores how the pursuit of an edge in gambling helped drive innovations in computing and artificial intelligence, and why some of the techniques developed by these early “advantage players” foreshadow technologies that are now transforming the world.
