BRO! Rocklin brothers create national brand with sports gambling podcast

What started as two brothers casually talking sports at the kitchen table has grown into one of the most popular independent gambling podcasts in the country. Rocklin's Bolt Brady was constantly talking sports and gambling with his brother Trevor, so much so his mom felt prompted to finally say, "You two should just start a podcast." So they did. It began as a fun side project for the brothers but quickly grew into something much bigger. Now listeners are tuning in not just for their betting picks but for the unfiltered, humorous and authentic conversations between two lifelong sports fans. The show is called "Bolt Brady and his Bro," and it didn't take long for listeners to fall in love with the chemistry between the two. "It caught on fairly quickly. I told a few friends, and then they told a few people and they really liked it," said Bolt Brady. "It started spreading nationally and soon we were getting emails from nationwide. I thought people were listening to us talking sports and gambling, but a lot of people apparently tune in just for the entertainment. I guess they think that it's pretty funny and lighthearted." Since launching four years ago, the show has attracted sponsorships, drawn the attention of national radio brands such as ESPN and Fox Sports, and built a following that spans far beyond Placer County. The podcast blends sports betting analysis with everyday stories, sibling banter and a vibe that Brady says feels more like hanging out with old friends than listening to a formal show. Each episode runs between 30 and 45 minutes and is available on all streaming platforms and YouTube. Brady says each episode is authentic with no big producer hiding behind the scenes to cut things up. "We never do any cuts or stop recording. What you hear on the show is how it flowed that day and people seem to like it quite a bit," said Brady. "We take care of all that and decide what we're going to talk about ourselves. Honestly, most of the time, we just have a few talking points and then we just do our normal banter from there." Brady got started in sports gambling in college when he was playing football at Menlo in the 1990s. He recalls having a friend walk into a room with a wad of cash he said he won from sports betting and he became hooked instantly. "I've been gambling for over 20 years, so I've got a background doing it," says Brady, "If you win 55 percent of your games over 1,000 picks, then you'd be considered an expert. Our podcast has never done below 58 percent since we started." Brady makes picks on everything from the NFL and college football to college basketball and major golf tournaments. He says one secret to his gambling success is he doesn't have any affiliations with any pro teams and can make picks with his head rather than his heart. He says his other mantra is to not stack his bets in parlays but rather make them as single wagers. "Casinos love to push parlays and something like 70 percent of the income that they make from sports gambling is from parlays," says Brady. "The average sports investor likes to put down a small amount hoping to hit the home run and it just doesn't hit often." Brady says he's still in shock that people want to listen to him and his brother talk sports and banter with each other. He's happy people are tuning in and that he's providing a sense of entertainment. Said Brady, "It's kind of like just sitting around with your best buddies having some beers and talking sports."