History of sports wagering
The historical past of sports gambling in the US extends back to the occasions when the founders took risks. In the past gamblers bet on cockfights, makeshift horse races and bare fist fights. Colonists and Pioneers that arrived in the united states from Europe and England in particular had betting within 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 all over the world. With all the ease of online sports betting, it has made the activity all the more convenient and cheaper. Though in the past the sports betting section was small, today it has permeated virtually every element of society.
Horse racing was popular from the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was appreciated mostly by the upper class. But horse tracks started to appear after the Civil War and very quickly gamblers from all sectors of society flocked to those racing establishments. Bookies had a hold over the gambling population and 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 was big money for a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached the peak with more than 300 racetracks throughout the US.
Professional baseball became popular from the late 1800s and “pool cards” came into use. The “Black Sox Scanal” which had been “fixed” rocked the US and the public received a negative view of sports bettors. Though gambling was against the law most people considered 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 even though the odds of these cards were in the bookies favor.
In most US cities, sports gambling activities were becoming a section of life and many youngsters were being exposed to the sports betting industry at a very young 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 almost 30 years.
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 that helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make smarter decisions. The publication that had been most widely used 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 also the states financial situation which had been in dire straits at that time, changed significantly. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities made it 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 charged 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 major part of sports gambling and ushered in the technology that revolutionized sports gambling.
