VIDEO: Owen Hanson On Illegal Bookmaking, 'Modern Day Gangsters'

Owen Hanson, a former football player on national championship teams at the University of Southern California, was also a campus drug dealer who later became a global narcotics trafficker for a cartel and a major illegal bookmaker.

Hanson, now 43 years old and recently released from a federal prison, spoke with Gambling.com about his recovery and other topics, including the dangers of illegal sports betting, athletes involved in sports wagering, and much more.

Hanson is the author of “The California Kid: From USC Golden Boy to International Drug Kingpin” and the subject of an Amazon Prime special, “Cocaine Quarterback,” set to air Sept. 25.

“I was probably the largest bookmaker in the United States at one point,” Hanson said in a recent episode of Gambling.com’s “The Edge.”

'Sending Some Muscle To Collect '

Though he made millions as an illegal bookmaker whose clients included Hollywood stars and professional athletes, Hanson advised bettors to go the legal route. Currently, sports betting is legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C.

“Don't bet with illegal bookmakers,” he said, “because you never know what's going to happen. They could end up going to prison like myself. They could end up stiffing you. They could end up sending some muscle to collect the money at your house or sending flowers to your wife's office. You never know what's going to happen with an illegal bookmaker, because I'm not going to lie, we're modern day gangsters and we're going to figure out any way we can to collect that money. Now, when you deal with a bigger company, a corporation like DraftKings or FanDuel, you never have to worry about that.”

A Los Angeles resident, Hanson has launched a food company, California Ice Protein, that makes a frozen product he first perfected in prison mop buckets. Hanson is expanding the company nationwide, and its products are also available online at California Ice Protein.