History of illegal gambling in sports
The USA has a long history of illegal gambling in sports. Gambling scandals and political control have led to the prohibition and regulating sports gambling in the US. Laws that related to sports gambling along with other standards have already been changing and the changes are actually described as “Waves”. The earliest of these waves was during the Colonial Period that lasted up until the 1800s. The second wave took place at the end of the US Civil war up until the early Twentieth century. The 3rd of these waves started during the Great Depression till date.
Sports gambling has always been illegal in the US. Puritan attitudes during the Colonial era were adopted towards sports and other gambling, possessing cards, gaming tables, dice etc. Later on it was only allowed if it had not been a trade but only innocent recreation. Early settlers had the view that gambling was only a harmless hobby. Gambling was likened to the frontier spirit as each of them involved opportunism, risk taking and high expectations.
Illegal sports gambling has always been associated with mobsters and organized crime in the United States. Illegal sports gambling was a huge business for gang mobsters in the 1920s and 1930s. Organized bookmaking systems were put in place by organized crime throughout the nation. Horse racing betting became popular in those times.
In 1931 Nevada legalized casino gambling and here too organized crime took control over all of the casino betting business. Mobsters controlled illegal nationwide wire services Trans America Wire and Continental Wire Service. Mobsters like the infamous Al Capone put in place their own personal wire services to stop gamblers from getting any benefit of delays by making sure they posted winning bets before formal results were out.
The Federal Government of the US cracked upon mobsters and organized crime over the 1950s and drove them out of the Nevada Casino gambling industry. But this would not dissuade the organized crime mobsters who took over illegal bookmaking. Law Enforcement authorities do acknowledge that independent bookies are functioning within the nation but it is obvious that organized crime still manages all the big money in betting.
Animal fights furthermore have a long history in the US in spite of the not so good reputation it’s got. Most animal fights include dog fights and cock fights that have become favored by street gangs and big amounts of weapons and cash are usually present at the time of these fights.
History of illegal gambling in sports uncovers that cockfighting was illegal and banned by nearly all states the United States over the 1800s. It is still illegal today in 48 states. The law in Minnesota makes any king of gambling bet Illegal. Thus any sort of card game where you’ve got to pay to take part in a game and possess chances to win cash is a “bet” and thus also considered to be illegal gambling. It is essential to note that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 only deals with the funding of internet gambling not the specific act of betting.