History of sports gambling
The history of sports gambling in the US extends back on 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 landed in the united states from Europe and England specifically had betting within their veins because their ancestors gambled for generations. Therefore “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 craze all over the world. With all the simplicity of on-line sports betting, it’s made the activity all the more convenient and cheaper. Though in the past the sports betting segment was small, today it has permeated almost 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 from all sectors of society flocked to those racing establishments. Bookies had a hold on 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 a 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 an adverse view of sports bettors. Although gambling was against the law a lot of people regarded sports gambling to be a harmless victimless crime. College football and basketball also became popular with bettors as baseball and boxing. Pool cards were extremely popular 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 most youngsters were coming in contact with the sports betting industry in a very young age. Some professionals 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 within the nation via the telegraph or telephone He also printed sports information which helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make smarter decisions. The publication that had been most popular was The Green Sheet. He was legitimate even though his clients were illegal bookies.
Sports gambling was ultimately legalized in Nevada in 1931 and also the states finances which had been in dire straits during those times, transformed 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 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 first legal sports books in Nevada and they were occasionally called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a significant part of sports gambling and brought in the technology that completely changed sports gambling.