Four Titles Shortlisted for First Gambling Book Awards

Four books have been named on the shortlist for the inaugural Gambling Book Awards, a new literary prize launched in September 2025 by the team behind The Gambling Files podcast. The awards were created to recognise excellence across all forms of gambling-related writing, from investigative journalism to biography and cultural analysis.

The shortlisted titles are The Truth Detective by Alex O’Brien, Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling by Jonathan D Cohen, Sol: My Friend and Adversary, Sol Kerzner by Peter Venison, and Dead Lucky by Connor Hutchinson.

Each shortlisted author will receive £1,000, with the overall winner set to collect a £7,000 top prize. All four authors will travel to Barcelona in January, with flights and accommodation covered, to attend the announcement of the winner.

The presentation will take place on 29 January during the European Casino Awards at the Renaissance Barcelona Fira venue. The ceremony will also include the presentation of the Gambling Industry Trade Journalist of the Year Award, with three nominees shortlisted for that honour.

Fintan Costello, co-founder of the Gambling Book Awards, said narrowing the field had been a challenge.

“Bringing an outstanding list down to just four books was no easy feat, with some genuinely excellent books just missing the cut,” he said.

All shortlisted and longlisted authors have previously appeared on the organiser’s podcast, reflecting the close connection between the awards and the wider gambling research and publishing community.