Rogers, Terence (‘Terry’) (1928–99), bookmaker and poker player, was born 27 July 1928 in Monkstown, Co. Dublin, eldest son of Ignatius Terence Rogers, commission agent and bookmaker, of Elphin, Co. Roscommon, and Mary (‘Lily’) Rogers (née Confrey) of Dún Laoghaire. He was educated locally, and struggled with a form of dyslexia that persuaded him to leave school before he sat his intermediate certificate examination. He instead started work by assisting his father, and first began to take bets on his own at a coursing meeting in Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, on New Year's day 1946. He acquired his own bookmaking licence in 1947 while only 19 years of age, and first officially ‘laid the odds’ at Naas greyhound stadium. Around this time he also opened an amusement arcade in Courtown, Co. Wexford, and with his profits from this venture bought an even larger arcade in Salthill, Co. Galway. His forceful personality, dapper appearance, and the interplay he brought between bookmaker and punter resulted in an audience being always around his bookmaking pitch at the races.
He was an innovative bookmaker, and the first to offer doubles, forecasts, and three-bet ‘chances’ to racegoers. He bought a chain of betting shops around Dublin, part of which was financed by his tactic of making offers to buy the tickets of those who had drawn tickets in the Irish Sweepstakes draw. The way in which his shops operated again underlined the extent to which Rogers was an innovator. Bets were accepted on a whole range of things, and not strictly horse- or greyhound-racing. In 1961, when on-street betting became legal in Britain, he opened a chain of betting shops in the English midlands. He later sold his fifty-three shops to the Ladbrokes group in 1973 for £750,000.
Rogers was also an enthusiastic poker player, and is reported to have said: ‘I have been the greatest single factor in the worldwide spread of competitive poker’ (Ir. Independent, 14 Nov. 1999). He and fellow bookmaker Liam Flood began holding charity poker tournaments in the mid 1970s. In 1979 he went to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, during the World Series of Poker, which was then a small tournament. There he met Benny Binion, owner of the Horseshoe casino, the annual venue for the World Championships. Rogers was captivated by Las Vegas and by the ‘Texas Hold ‘em’ style of poker, which he is credited with introducing to Europe. He subsequently returned every year to the World Series, enthusiastically promoted the game in Ireland, and brought to Las Vegas many rising stars from the Irish scene, including Collette O'Doherty, the first woman to play in the World Series (1980), and Noel Furlong, who won the tournament in 1999. In 1981 he and Flood organised the Irish Open, which became the longest-running poker tournament in Europe, and in the next few years brought to it some of the best-known American players. In 1983 the biggest poker competition yet seen in Ireland was held, attended by the world's leading professionals. As president of the Eccentric Club – a group that organised the annual Irish poker championships and raised funds for an array of good causes – Rogers ran the Eccentric Club Invitational tournament, usually held in the Isle of Man, and in 1985 brought it to Las Vegas. In the mid 1980s he usually brought ten to fifteen players to the World Series, and Irish players made up some 10 per cent of the competitors. He also acted as mentor to the professional player Donncha O'Dea, son of actor Denis O'Dea (qv). In 1986 he was arrested for making a book on the outcome of the World Series; his release after twelve hours is believed to have been due to the influence of his friend Binion.
Rogers served for a time in the 1970s as president of the Irish Boxing Board of Control and was credited with bringing a cabaret-style element to the contests that were staged in the capital. He co-promoted the famous bout between Muhammad Ali and Al Lewis that was staged in Croke Park in 1972. He was also a racehorse owner and gambler. He considered himself to be particularly unlucky in the latter pursuit, forever regretting circumstances that forced him to sell his numerous ante-post bets on the eventual 1964 Epsom Derby winner Santa Claus. Known as ‘Red Menace’ because of his red hair, he was famous in the betting ring for his pin-stripe suit, his red braces, and the performing style and hectoring manner he used to encourage betting. Rogers was also a keen investor in the stock market, particularly in the exploration section, but here he suffered mixed fortunes. In the latter stage of his career, he became involved in the operation of snooker halls, in addition to acquiring a Dublin taxi fleet. He retired from the racecourse in 1988, as ailing knees prevented his standing for long periods of time. During his retirement years he spent much of his time in Spain, and it was in Gran Canaria that he collapsed suddenly and died on 7 November 1999.
He married (26 January 1959), in the pro-cathedral, Dublin, Marie (or Mary) (1931–77), daughter of William Broderick, a prominent Listowel bookmaker, and Ellen Broderick (née Walsh); they had one son and one daughter.