History of sports wagering
The history of sports gambling in the usa dates back to the times when the founders took risks. In the past bettors bet on cockfights, makeshift horse races and bare fist fights. Colonists and Pioneers that arrived in the US from Europe and England specifically had betting in their veins because their ancestors gambled for generations. As a result “sports betting” was obviously a natural part and parcel of the early American culture.
Today there’s no question that sports betting activities are definitely the rage around the globe. With all the ease of on-line sports betting, it’s made the activity all the more convenient and cheaper. Though in the past the sports betting section was small, today it’s permeated virtually every element of society.
Horse racing was popular in the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was enjoyed mainly by way of the upper class. But horse tracks started to appear after the Civil War and very quickly gamblers coming from all sectors of society flocked to these racing establishments. Bookies had a hold on the gambling population and in addition they were setting odds on horses that increased the betting handle. Bookies would lower the odds on other horses to increase their attractiveness when there seemed to be big money for a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached the summit with more than 300 racetracks throughout the US.
Professional baseball became popular in the late 1800s and “pool cards” came into use. The “Black Sox Scanal” which was “fixed” rocked the US and the public received an adverse view of sports bettors. Though gambling was against the law most people regarded sports gambling to be a harmless victimless crime. College football games and basketball also gained popularity with bettors as baseball and boxing. Pool cards were as popular as ever although the odds of these cards were in the bookies favor.
In the majority of US cities, sports gambling activities were transforming into a section of life and most youngsters were being exposed to the sports betting industry at a very young age. Some experts have said, “Sports gambling was getting more popular than hotdogs!” Soon Leo Hirschfield started Athletic Publications that became the sports betting world standard for nearly three decades.
Established in 1930 the corporation set lines in sports events and distributed those to bookmakers in the nation via the telegraph or telephone He also printed sports information that helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make smarter decisions. The publication that was most popular was The Green Sheet. He was legitimate despite the fact that his customers were illegal bookies.
Sports gambling was finally legalized in Nevada in the year 1931 and also the states financial situation which had been in dire straits at that time, transformed significantly. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities caused it to be a hot spot for tourists and this also altered its economic condition for the better.
A resolution was passed in 1951 by way of the Congress that imposed a 10% tax on every sports bet. New regulations allowed the bookies to come out of the dark and work openly. Turf clubs were the initial legal sports books in Nevada and they were sometimes called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a significant element of sports gambling and ushered in the technology that revolutionized sports gambling.