55-year-old star secretly placed bets on matches despite being on the booking committee, according to WWE veteran Vince Russo (Exclusive)
Legalized betting in pro wrestling has come to the fore following WWE's reported talks with gambling regulators. Vince Russo, though, has revealed that placing bets on wrestling matches isn't a new trend, as Glenn Gilbertti (aka Disco Inferno) seemingly indulged in betting several years ago.
Vince Russo worked with Disco Inferno in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling for a long time, and he recalled that they were both on the company's booking committee. Being a creative team member meant that Disco Inferno had inside knowledge of the finishes, and he used the information to his benefit, as Russo explained.
Recent reports of legalized gambling haven't surprised the former WWE writer, as he suggested that Disco Inferno secretly placed bets on TNA matches after getting to know the outcome in advance.
Russo even stated that the former WCW Tag Team Champion was well-versed with the pro wrestling betting system and walked away with a lot of extra money in addition to getting paid by TNA for his creative role.
Here's Russo making the massive revelation on Sportskeeda's YouTube channel:
"Chris, this has been around. This is not new, but a lot of the betting on wrestling, you had to find, you know, you had to find the betting source. A lot of them were overseas. Bro, this was going on when I was in TNA. I left TNA in 2012. So this was going on 12-15 years ago. Bro, listen, here is the scoop of the day; Glenn Gilbertti, otherwise known as Disco Inferno, was on the booking committee placing these bets, bro. Placing these bets! Doing exactly what EC3 said. That is a fact!"
Russo added:
"He was collecting money hand over fist, bro. Yes, absolutely. He was all over that. He knew who to do to; I mean, he was all over that, but that's been happening for a while." [2:44 - 4:00]
WWE seems to be pushing hard to legalize betting in wrestling
As reported by CNBC, World Wrestling Entertainment is looking at Colorado, Indiana, and Michigan as the states that could allow people to bet on scripted pro wrestling matches.
The organization has already registered with the Indiana Gaming Commission and is seemingly quite serious about its plans to legalize gambling in the kayfabe business.
While WWE has already made its intentions clear, the Colorado Division of Gaming recently announced that they "had not yet considered allowing sports betting wagers on WWE matches."
WWE Employees after betting on matches that they already know the result of: https://t.co/O3wmgBxFek
Suppose WWE does succeed in securing legalized gambling in the industry. In that case, the outcome of wrestling matches must be concealed from everybody, even the superstars involved in the bout, who might only be informed about the finish before the bell rings.
We should ideally get more clarity on the gambling story sooner rather than later. However, what's your stance on the potential of legalized betting in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.
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