History of sports gambling

The history of sports betting in the US extends back to the times when the founders took risks. Back then bettors bet on cockfights, makeshift horse races and bare fist fights. Colonists and Pioneers that landed in the united states from Europe and England in particular had betting in their veins as their ancestors gambled for generations. Therefore “sports betting” was a natural part and parcel with the early American culture.

Today it is obvious that sports betting activities are definitely the rage all over the world. With the ease of on-line sports betting, it has made the activity all the more convenient and cheaper. Though previously the sports betting section was small, today it has permeated virtually every facet of society. top 5 sport betting sites

Horse racing was popular in the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was appreciated mostly by way of the upper class. But horse tracks began to appear after the Civil War and soon gamblers coming 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 increased the betting handle. Bookies would lower the odds on other horses to increase their attractiveness when there seemed to be a lot of money on a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached a summit with over 300 racetracks throughout the US. sport betting handicap

Professional baseball gained popularity in the late 1800s and “pool cards” came into use. The “Black Sox Scanal” which had been “fixed” rocked the united states and the public received a negative view of sports bettors. Although gambling was illegal most 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 even though the odds of these cards were in the bookies favor.

In most US cities, sports gambling activities were becoming a part of life and many youngsters were coming in contact with 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 30 years.

Established in 1930 the corporation set lines in sports events and distributed those to bookmakers in the nation through the telegraph or telephone He also published sports information which helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make better decisions. The publication that had been most widely used was The Green Sheet. He was legitimate despite the fact that his clients were illegal bookies.

Sports gambling was finally legalized in Nevada in 1931 and the states finances which had been in dire straits during those times, transformed drastically. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities caused it to be 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 allowed 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 major element of sports gambling and brought in the technology that revolutionized sports gambling.