History of sports gambling
The history of sports gambling in the usa extends back on the occasions 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 as their ancestors gambled for generations. Therefore “sports betting” was obviously a normal part and parcel of the early American culture football betting.
Today there’s no question that sports betting activities are the rage all over the world. With all the simplicity of online sports betting, it’s made the sport much more convenient and cheaper. Though previously the sports betting segment was small, today it has permeated almost every facet of society.
Horse racing was popular from the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was enjoyed mainly by way of the upper class. But horse tracks started to appear following 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 in addition they were setting odds on horses that increased the betting handle. Bookies would lower the odds on other horses to enhance their attractiveness when there seemed to be big money on a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached a peak with more than 300 racetracks all over the US.
Professional baseball became popular in the late 1800s and “pool cards” came into use. The “Black Sox Scanal” which was “fixed” rocked the united states and the public received an adverse view of sports bettors. Although gambling was illegal most people regarded sports gambling as a harmless victimless crime. College football games and basketball also gained popularity with bettors as baseball and boxing. Pool cards were extremely popular although the odds of these cards were in the bookies favor.
In the majority of US cities, sports gambling activities were transforming into 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 almost 30 years.
Established in 1930 this company set lines in sports events and dispersed them to bookmakers within the nation through the telegraph or telephone He also published sports information that helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make better decisions. The publication that was most popular was The Green Sheet. He was legitimate even though his customers 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 drastically. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities made it a hot spot for tourists and this also changed its economic condition for the better helpful resources.
A resolution was passed in 1951 by the Congress that charged 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 major part of sports gambling and brought in the technology that revolutionized sports gambling.