Sports-betting analyst R.J. Bell to get his own show on Fox Sports Radio

R.J. Bell, the controversial gambling analyst and founder of Pregame.com, will have his own show on Fox Sports Radio beginning next month, the network announced Friday.

Bell will host Straight Outta Vegas with R.J. Bell alongside Las Vegas radio veteran Steve Cofield. The pair will discuss sports from a gambling perspective, “integrating the best mainstream insight into the Las Vegas conversation,” according to a press release. The show will air Fridays from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET on more than 300 stations.

“We’re making history,” Bell said in the release. “This is the first Vegas sports show on a major national radio network. FOX Sports Radio understands that even those who don’t bet on sports want to know who the favorites and underdogs are – it’s not a ‘hot take’ when the opinion is backed by cold cash. Pregame is honored to break this ground and we’re ready to produce a show different than any other, a show worthy of the faith shown in us.”

Bell received notoriety last summer when a Deadspin expose alleged that his relationships with sportsbooks allowed him to profit off losses incurred by those who used Pregame’s picks. Freelancer Ryan Goldberg wrote of the company:

Today’s touts get you on both ends. They sell you “winners,” and then collect when you lose. It’s a sucker’s game, same as it ever was. 

The Deadspin piece also accused Pregame of fudging its analysts’ betting records to make them appear more successful than they were.

Earlier this summer, Bell sued Deadspin over the story, alleging defamation, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and tortious interference with contractual relations, while seeking at least $10 million in damages. He is being represented by Charles Harder, the same lawyer who helped Hulk Hogan sue Gawker Media into bankruptcy last year.

Deadspin’s parent company Univision has vowed to fight the lawsuit, with subsidiary Gizmodo Media calling the suit, “nothing more than an attempt to intimidate journalists.”