John English, the inventor of the modern sports betting kiosk, died on Saturday at the age of 60 in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, Sports Handle has learned.
Among the last wishes of English, a native of Buffalo, New York, was that mourners wear Bills and Golden Knights team gear to his funeral services, which will be held on Feb. 28 and 29 at Palm Downtown Mortuary (1325 N. Main St.) in Las Vegas.
A graduate of Las Vegas' Clark High School – where, in the “activities and societies” section of his LinkedIn page, English claimed to have been a member of the Wedgie Prevention and Swirlie Awareness Group (SWAG) – English spent his career working on gaming's technological vanguard, voicing his support for the incorporation of artificial intelligence as recently as August.
But English really gained notoriety by introducing sports betting kiosks to taverns and bars throughout Nevada in the early 2000s, a setup that was outlawed in 2013. Undaunted, English developed a new kiosk for keno and bingo games while the sports betting variety found extended life inside casinos and sportsbooks nationwide.
At the time of his death, English was busy reviving Vegas' iconic Bet Leroy's brand as the company's chief innovation officer, a rebirth that remains ongoing.