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A Trip to Panama: The Pig / Legendz Sports Building

Published in: Eye On Gambling
Date published: August 25, 2007

I would like the thank The Pig and Legendz Sports for the opportunity to come to Panama for the Grand Opening of their new state of the art facility. It was an honor for EOG to be invited for this special occasion.

The only thing I can say about the building is "wow!"  Pictures will not do this jewel of the industry justice.  The entire ownership and management team were outstanding.  They were professional, down to earth, courteous, and open to any questions we may have had.  The most important thing I got out of the whole trip is their love and passion for the online industry.

We arrived at the airport on Friday night at 11 pm after a delay.  The General Manager Bill and Big Mike met us there and showed us around town for a bit, before taking us to the beautiful Veneto Casino.  After getting into the room, we went downstairs for awhile to check out the sports book and the casino. We played a little blackjack and went to bed.

Saturday morning Big Mike, General and I got up and ate lunch at Hooters with some guys and went over to tour the facility before the party on Saturday Night.  When we were coming down the highway I could tell we were in for a treat.  Huge 6-7" story glass building that was state of the art was rising out of the ground from a distance.  We entered the main lobby and met Gooch.  They took us to the top of the building to let Bill know we were there.  We talked for a few minutes then we went back down to the bottom floor to start the tour, as Bill was already cooking for the extravagant party on Saturday Night.

The main lobby was decorated completely in glass with tile floors with stairs going up right in the middle. Anyone could go behind the stairs to see hallways that lead to offices, storage, etc.  All are very nice and spacious.

 
Then we proceeded to the call center. I would hate to have to guess how many computer stations they had, but it was amazing how many people were working on cutting edge computers and big screens all over the place with every game on so they could keep up with what was happening.
 

We stayed in there and observed employees working.  All spoke English well and were very courteous to the customer. They made their customers feel as if they were the most important person in the world no matter what their problem was or how much they wagered.  I was very impressed to say the least. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of the call center, but if there is a nicer, more state of the art one anywhere in the world, I would like to see it.

We then proceeded to the meeting rooms which were huge and very nice. There was one on each floor I believe. Then we moved on to the offices of upper management. Each of them are top of the line with anything needed to do the job.

Then we went back to the top of the building and went in a casual room with some poker tables, blackjack tables, and 6 or 8 hi-definition TV's on the wall.  The walls had sports memorabilia hanging on them and couches lined the walls opposite of the TV's.  This room is adjacent to roof area where the party was held and where the cooking was being done.

 
We then went out and met Luke (the owner) and talked with him about the building and what his plans were.  We hung around for about another hour talking with Gooch, Bill, and Big Mike and then we went back to the hotel to get ready for the action of the evening.  Gooch about killed us 247 times on the ride back to the hotel. He should never be allowed to operate a car again.

We arrived back at the building at 6 pm. We went straight to the roof to meet with Luke, Bill, Couch Potato and the gang. This is where we met Marissa. She is a doll and a very good person.  We walked out and they were still setting up the tents and putting the finishing touches up for the party.  We got our drinks and Luke took us in the reception area next to the roof. He told us to ask him any questions we wanted. He wanted to know our ideas to help their books get stronger from a forum’s perspective.

 
Luke was receptive to our opinions, complaints, and compliments.  We had long hard talks about the state of the industry with all the troubles, and what we saw for the future.  We were all very frank and open with our concerns. After the 45 minutes to an hour of brain picking, I think we came to one conclusion… The Pig and Legendz Sports is in this for the long haul. Their pockets are deep, all post up money is accounted for, and their staff is second to none in knowledge of this business.
 

With the completion of this new building coming at such an arduous time tells me that Luke and his companies are not in this just to make money. They are re-investing in the business that they love as evidenced by this facility we were sitting in. The employees we talked with were all upbeat with the same positive outlook as upper management.  They all conveyed the same message and you could tell it was genuine.  Luke said it best when he said to us "Guys, the reason you (Dirty and General) were invited to the Grand Opening was EOG has the same positive outlook and passion for this Industry that we do.  With this building I am investing in our future and it shows everyone the dedication and desire we have for online gambling and making this industry stronger."  I was very impressed by Luke to say the least.  The guy and his staff work very hard to be a top book.

 
After this the party started and we partied hard.  It was a first class event with unbelievable food prepared by Bill and a couple of others on staff.  We all talked and had a great time.  We sat down to eat. The menu consisted of great chicken and steak kabobs, prime rib sandwiches, chicken salad, rice, breads, and tons of salad and desserts. At our table were Big Mike, Bill, Bill's lovely wife, and Couch Potato. We ate, talked, and laughed so much. It was great times. We all had a blast especially when General was going to get the table a shot of Dom.  The pictures will tell the tale better than my describing it.

After dinner, Luke's beautiful wife stood up and thanked everyone for a great time and told everyone how much they appreciated them.  It was heartfelt by both of them.  After the speeches we all just mingled, drank, and had a good time.  They turned me into a one man comedy show; I guess they thought I was Larry the Cable guy or something.  Nah, just kidding... I had a blast.

In short, this is one trip I will always remember and I am very glad we made it.  I appreciated not only Panama, but to see how a top rated company is run from the ground up.  After this trip and seeing what I have it gives me more confidence in the future of our industry knowing that the best books in the world are willing to keep investing in the future, instead of wondering when it is going to end.  This is why The Pig / Legendz Sports is one of the top sports books in the world, BAR NONE!!!  

 
A lot of people think they are a new book. They are far from it. They have been around since 1996.  I can honestly say I would trust my money at this place and know it was just as safe there as at a bank.  This is one reason they are one of the largest and safest in the world.  They should be in the Top 5 of any list.  I am convinced we can expect many good things from The Pig / Legendz Sports group in the future.

- Dirty, Forum Moderator at EOG

In early 2007, Legendz notified me that they wanted to invite a few guys from EOG down to their ground-breaking ceremony for the opening of a new facility.  We were flattered from the first invite.  On Aug 10th we left for Panama.  I knew what I was going to see before I ever left Indiana.  I left Indy, connected at Atlanta and we were in Panama around 11 pm EST that Friday night.

At the airport, we were met by Legendz management, Bill & Mike.  We were immediately pulled aside and taken to a private VIP room while our immigration information was taken care of for us. While this was being done, we had our first opportunity to meet up with Bill and Mike.

It did not take long before we were out of the airport and on our way to the Veneto Casino and hotel where we were to stay for our visit. The remainder of Friday evening was spent at the casino discussing all kinds of topics relating to what we do.  After awhile, we found ourselves at the blackjack tables laughing it up and really enjoying the scenery in that place.  There was just so much golden eye candy EVERYWHERE.  That was enough to assure a guy would sit and play a little blackjack.  For whatever reason, our table became pretty popular.

On Saturday we got up and met with Mike who took us for lunch and then we headed to visit the new facility for Legendz Sports and The Pig.  This was really fascinating.  Having visited many other sportsbooks in the past, I was used to the same office for the management, a sales department, some IT guys, a little marketing and a call center. However, the new Legendz building was all of that and much more.  Being in this facility was like being in a huge home.  The interior decorating was akin to being in a million dollar home instead of a sportsbook.  Of course once the doors started opening, then the business was obvious.  The main man himself, Luke, was running around greeting and preparing while Bill was working the food early in the day. Gooch, the Operations Manager, then took us in his office where we sat and had more discussions applying to all kinds of aspects from local Panama to the state of the entire sports betting industry.

Luke, Gooch, Bill and Mike I could not say enough.  They were all super guys with a hell of a positive outlook on not just the sports book but life in general.  The coolers were set and the upstairs lounge looked sensational for our outside dinner party.  We were told directly by Luke to make ourselves at home and never hesitate to ask questions about anything.

The facility is beautiful. It is overseeing the city in the background, and an airport next door along with a military school next door to the building.  Luke made it very clear that they had every intention of having these military type students as employees for their offices and think about that for a second.  I'd just venture to say he has a vision of grabbing some of the most educated students to work for him.

All of the offices were nice, the call center and entire facility.  What a feeling, as if I were right at home.  In the lounge area up stairs I took retreat to sit back and watch some sports and racing which was taking place.  I had several televisions up there on the wall to watch whatever was going on.  To the side of me sat a blackjack and poker table to be used a little later.

We headed back to the hotel in the afternoon for a little rest and relaxation before the official party Saturday night.  That didn't take long.  We took an hour after getting back to the casino to relax and change clothes if we wished for the dinner party.

The sun was setting and the skyline was starting to show the beauty it possesses.  The dinner area on the roof of the building was decorated beautifully as more and more people started to gather.  I was so proud to be here where I knew few people actually because that said something to me about how Legendz Sports and The Pig feel about EOG.  If they are not happy with us then WE are not there.

Luke made it clear to me that he and our philosophies at EOG were very similar, that he felt we did care about this industry a lot and that we did put many long and hard hours into what we do every day, rarely letting up but always looking ahead.  This was a very proud moment for me.

What can I say about the party itself?  The food was great, the setting was perfect and the people were so friendly and polite, the most professional ever.  I started this and will finish.  I have seen and felt exactly what I knew I was to see and feel before I ever set foot on any airplane. Thanks so much to Luke, Gooch, Bill and Mike.  I cannot say much more as I think the facial expressions should have been a plenty. I appreciate being fortunate enough to attend a great party and one great sportsbook.

- The General, Forum Moderator at EOG

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