History of sports wagering
The history of sports gambling in the US extends back to the times when the founders took risks. Back then gamblers 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. Therefore “sports betting” was obviously a natural part and parcel of the early American culture.
Today it is obvious that sports betting activities are the rage all over the world. With the simplicity of on-line sports betting, it has made the sport all the more convenient and cheaper. Though in the past the sports betting segment was small, today it’s permeated virtually every element of society. sport betting digest
Horse racing was popular in the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was appreciated mainly by way of the upper class. But horse tracks started to appear after the Civil War and soon gamblers coming from all sectors of society flocked to those racing establishments. Bookies had a hold over the gambling population and in addition they were setting odds on horses that enhanced the betting handle. Bookies would reduce 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 peak with over 300 racetracks throughout the US. arbitrage betting forum uk
Professional baseball became popular from the late 1800s and “pool cards” came into use. The “Black Sox Scanal” which was “fixed” rocked the united states and the public acquired an adverse view of sports bettors. Though gambling was illegal a lot of people regarded sports gambling to be a harmless victimless crime. College football games and basketball also became popular 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 most US cities, sports gambling activities were transforming into a section of life and many youngsters were coming in contact with the sports betting industry in a very early age. Some professionals have said, “Sports gambling was getting more popular than hot dogs!” 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 them to bookmakers in the nation through the telegraph or telephone He also printed sports information which helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make smarter decisions. The publication that was most popular was The Green Sheet. He was legitimate even though his customers were illegal bookies.
Sports gambling was finally legalized in Nevada in the year 1931 and the states financial situation which had been in dire straits at that time, transformed significantly. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities made it a hot spot for tourists and this 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 permitted 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 brought in the technology that revolutionized sports gambling.
