Back in the day, they were called touts. Then they became wise guys, and slowly evolved into insiders. Who are we talking about? Why, sports betting experts, of course.
Those picks come at a nominal price, of course, and for “Vegas Dave,” aka Dave Oancea, those picks have helped make him rich. He is often described online as a sports betting consultant and entrepreneur, but exact claims about his wealth are difficult to verify publicly.
Oancea has claimed to be worth around $20 million, but that figure should be treated cautiously. Forbes noted in 2020 that he made that claim without providing proof.
Michigan Beginnings
The 49-year old was born in Saline, Michigan, and grew up in Ann Arbor. Oancea moved to Hawaii, which was where he first fell in love with sports betting. Once that happened it was inevitable that he would wind up in Las Vegas.
Dave told his parents he would be attending the University of Nevada, but instead Oancea took out a student loan for $10,000 and put it all on red at a casino. He claims to have doubled the money and started his bankroll with that bet.
Early Hard Times
Oancea’s rise was far from smooth. Forbes reported that he filed for bankruptcy in his early twenties, and later reporting from the Las Vegas Review-Journal detailed legal trouble connected to the use of other people’s Social Security numbers to open casino betting accounts. In 2019, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in federal court after originally facing 19 felony counts, and he forfeited $500,000 as part of the case.
From Oancea to Vegas Dave
Given his early track record, it seems unlikely someone like Oancea would have any kind of major success in life, but if the phrase “lucky in cards” applies to anyone, it’s Vegas Dave.
He sold a rare Mike Trout rookie card for almost $4 million, and he hit the jackpot with his sports gambling business in 2015. Dave collected $2.5 million on a futures bet that the Kansas City Royals would win the World Series that year.
He also scored big in the 2016 Super Bowl, scoring a potential $2.3 million payday when the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers.
Unfortunately for Vegas Dave, he couldn’t be called on that one because the government was investigating him at the time for 19 felonies where he allegedly used other people’s Social Security numbers.
In 2019, Oancea pled that number down to a misdemeanor and forfeited a half million dollars. In addition, he was banned from the Vegas sports book for three years. His sports betting picks have been consistently questioned. Many in the industry consider Vegas Dave to be a simple hustler who charges $200 for his daily card and nearly $1,000 for his game of the week.
Ongoing Controversy
Vegas Dave has remained a controversial figure. Beyond the earlier federal case, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in November 2025 that a judge ordered Oancea to pay $30.2 million to a luxury vacation rental agency in Mexico. A later report said a judge also ordered him to hand over properties, cryptocurrency, and other assets, though Oancea appealed the judgment and disputed ownership of some of the assets in question.
The Quieter Side of Vegas Dave
Vegas Dave scored big in his personal life when he married Holly Sonders, an attractive former Fox Sports Analyst whom he met via Instagram. But they parted ways in 2020, and while Oancea has stated that he’s “still there for her,” they don’t seem to be close to a reconciliation. In 2021, People reported that Sonders was in a relationship with Oscar De La Hoya.
