Beth Anne Raymer[1] (born in 1976 in Steubenville, Ohio) is an American writer and journalist. Her work in both fiction and non-fiction explores subcultures and issues relevant to the lives of lower and middle-class families. Raymer received an MFA[2] from Columbia University.[3] As a Fulbright fellow, she studied offshore gambling operations in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.[3] Raymer is the author of several books including Lay the Favorite, a memoir of her experience in the sports-betting industry. The memoir was adapted into a film in 2012.[4] Her journalism has been published in The Atlantic,[5]Lapham’s Quarterly,[6]Sports Illustrated,[3] and The New York Times Magazine.[7]
Raymer attended Florida State University, graduating with a B.A. in social work. As a student, she worked as an "in-home stripper" and later modeled for adult websites.[9] After being fired from a social work job[10] Raymer moved to Las Vegas at the age of 24 and found work in the world of high-stakes gambling and bookmaking.[11][8][12] She received an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from Columbia University in 2008.[13]
Books and screenplays
Lay the Favorite
Raymer's book, Lay the Favorite, was published in 2010.[14] It follows Raymer as she navigates the legal and illegal world of sports gambling. It has been described as a "tragicomic biography" [15] and a "Dickensian picaresque that paints an entertaining view of sports gambling and her own unconventional character."[16]
Raymer's debut novel Fireworks Every Night, Random House (summer, 2023),[19] explores class differences, the lasting effects of childhood dysfunction, and complex family bonds.[20]
Nuclear: Family and its Aftermath, Random House, Spring, 2025.[23] This book explores the diverging destinies of two sisters growing up in poverty in 1980s Florida.[23]
