When Simon Weiss graduated from Syracuse University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management from the David B. Falk College of Sport, legalized sports gambling in the United States was limited to two states: Nevada and New Jersey.
But since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that prevents the federal government from dictating how states manage sports gambling, the industry has undergone a rapid and extraordinary expansion. Some form of sports gambling is now legal in 39 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and the betting market in 2025 is estimated to reach nearly $20 billion in the U.S. and $111 billion globally, according to Grand View Research.
After starting his career in sports sponsorships and then working outside of sports, Weiss put his entrepreneurial spirit and skills to work by creating a company that is now shaping the future of the booming sports gambling industry. Weiss is CEO and founder of M.V.P Consulting Services (the M.V.P is for Make Vegas Pay), a Fort Lauderdale-based business that provides expert advice and education services for sports bettors.
“A lot of people love sports, and they love betting on games, but they work day jobs and they don’t really have the time to do the research,” Weiss says. “So the idea was for us to be that guiding hand for them.”
Simon Weiss
As M.V.P continues to grow, Weiss has reconnected with his Syracuse roots. He joined The Hill Society, a network of donors who share a common goal of supporting the University’s highest priorities. Following conversations with Falk College Director of Development Skylar Sabbag, Weiss recently joined the Emerging Leaders Council, a group of Falk College’s most committed and influential young alumni.
And Weiss is also helping to cultivate the next generation of sports betting experts as he’s in his second year of hosting Falk College sport management and sport analytics students who are handling a variety of roles. Sport analytics major Jared Weber ’26 is interested in a career in sports gambling and says he’s gaining a wealth of industry knowledge.
“My experience at M.V.P has helped me build a deep understanding of how to identify and create advantages over sportsbooks and thereby make myself a valuable candidate for jobs in the future,” Weber says. “I'm incredibly grateful to Simon for giving me the platform to learn so much about the betting space and helping other students learn along the way.”
Sport management major Lindsay Dorman ’27 also wants to work in what has been a male-dominated sports gambling industry. But she says Weiss has given her jobs and introduced her to people that have increased her confidence and made her more motivated to work in the industry.
“He’s taught me so much about the industry while giving me the freedom to take initiative and grow creatively,” Dorman says. “I’m really grateful for his mentorship and this experience is making me even more motivated to make an impact in this space.”
Not the Typical Path
From left to right, Director of Corporate Partnerships and External Engagement Francesco Riverso, Simon Weiss, and Department of Sport Analytics Chair and Professor Rodney Paul at the Sports Entertainment & Innovation Conference (SEICon) in Las Vegas.
Growing up, as his mother would like to say, a “sports nut” in Millburn, N.J., Weiss set his sights on the prominent sport management program at Syracuse University and a career in sponsorships because, after all, there’s a lot of money in everything from logos on a player’s uniform to stadium naming rights.
While in Falk College (then known as the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics), Weiss took advantage of everything the College had to offer–the Los Angeles immersion trip; internships with the NBA, Madison Square Garden, and Los Angeles FC (soccer); and most importantly, the networking with industry professionals that would pay off as his career unfolded.
Weiss started his professional career in New York City working in sports sponsorships and shared an apartment with one of his Syracuse fraternity brothers, Harrison Avigdor, a fellow Emerging Leaders Council member who now works as an account manager for the NBA’s Fantasy and Betting partnerships. But Weiss grew tired of New York City–and the sixth-floor walk-up apartment–and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina.
He found work in digital marketing and then as a mortgage loan originator before landing a remote sales job.
“It's not the typical career path, but it made me focus on my resume and cover letter,” Weiss says, smiling. “But I think I have a unique perspective there as well with job searching and getting laid off, working in the corporate world, and now an entrepreneurial path.”
Leaning into his love of sports gambling and the NFL, Weiss started M.V.P in 2021 with the help and guidance of his childhood best friend, who had founded popular Telegram chat group Crypto Insiders and a trading course. Weiss was still working in sales, but as he added employees and the business went viral on social media, he decided to make it his full-time business and rebrand M.V.P as Make Vegas Pay, which refers to the granddaddy of sports gambling locations, Las Vegas.
“There are a lot of newer bettors, especially with the legalization in 2018, and people who don’t understand how to bet or don’t know what to bet. We’re here to make sure they're betting responsibly,” says Weiss, who specializes in live betting for NFL games, another ahead-of-the-curve venture for him because he started it at Syracuse long before it became commonplace.
Simon Weiss (center) with former College of Sport Professor Dennis Deninger (left) and former Department Chair Michael Veley at SEICon in Las Vegas.
Providing a Bridge
The Falk College of Sport launched July 1 as the only college at a high-research activity (R1) university to focus solely on sport-related disciplines. The College’s mission, Dean Jeremy Jordan says, is to lead the way in research, education, and innovation to shape the future of the sport industry.
To that end, Weiss is the perfect addition to Emerging Leaders Council as his business is on the cutting-edge of a flourishing sport industry and he is eager to help nurture Falk College’s greatest resource, its students.
“I’ve always been interested in sports betting, so getting hands-on experience in the industry has been fascinating,” says Dorman, the sport management major who manages and edits M.V.P’s social media pages, helps with hiring and training new interns, and assists with production and content planning for M.V.P’s podcast. “Sports gambling is constantly changing and evolving, and being part of it early on has helped me grow my knowledge and see the industry from the inside out.”
Department of Sport Analytics Chair and Professor Rodney Paul, who was Weiss’ advisor in Falk College, and Director of Corporate Partnerships and External Engagement Francesco Riverso reconnected with Weiss at the inaugural Sports Entertainment & Innovation Conference (SEICon) in Las Vegas in July 2024. That’s when the idea was hatched for M.V.P to provide internship and Capstone opportunities for sport management and sport analytics students interested in entrepreneurship, social media marketing, analytics, and community building.
“I think my favorite part about being a Syracuse alum is knowing that I have a massive network of very talented and friendly people who are willing to help because they’ve all been in your shoes,” Weiss says. “So the least I can do is the same as what other people did for me.”
In Weber’s case, he and seven other sport analytics students are compiling weekly NFL "cheat sheets" that summarize key information throughout the week on point spread movement, injury news, key positional matchups, and player propositions for every NFL game. Once the cheat sheets are finalized, they’re made available to M.V.P clients so they can make more informed decisions about their bets.
“I’ve long been fascinated by the predictive side of sports analytics, and working in the sports wagering space brings that passion to life,” Weber says. “I love diving into the vast space of NFL markets each week and learning something new every time I analyze them.”
As Weiss looks for other ways to engage with the University, he says his primary goals are to help Falk College explore ways to expand its sports gambling curriculum, and to mentor students like him who want to take the entrepreneurial path to a career in the sport industry.
“For the students working with me, it’s about finding that next opportunity,” Weiss says. “There’s a lot of them who do want to be in the sports gambling space and want to advance to a bigger organization such as DraftKings, and I’m happy to provide a bridge to get to that next level.”