History of sports wagering
The history of sports betting in the usa dates 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 landed in the US from Europe and England specifically had betting within their veins as their ancestors gambled for generations. As a result “sports betting” was obviously a normal part and parcel of the early American culture.
Today there’s no question that sports betting activities are the rage all over the world. With all the ease of online sports betting, it’s made the activity all the more convenient and cheaper. Though previously the sports betting segment was small, today it’s permeated almost every facet of society.
Horse racing was popular in the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was appreciated mostly by way of the upper class. But horse tracks started to appear following 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 was big money for a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached a summit with more than 300 racetracks all over 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 united states and the public acquired an adverse view of sports bettors. Although gambling was against the law a lot of people regarded sports gambling as a harmless victimless crime. College football and basketball also gained popularity with bettors as baseball and boxing. Pool cards were extremely popular even though the odds of these cards were in the bookies favor.
In the majority of US cities, sports gambling activities were becoming a part of life and many youngsters were being exposed to the sports betting industry at a very early 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 almost three decades.
Established in 1930 the corporation set lines in sports events and dispersed them to bookmakers in the nation via the telegraph or telephone He also printed sports information that helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make smarter decisions. The publication that was most widely used was The Green Sheet. He was legitimate even though his clients were illegal bookies.
Sports gambling was ultimately legalized in Nevada in the year 1931 and also the states finances which was in dire straits at that time, transformed drastically. 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 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 initial legal sports books in Nevada and they were occasionally called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a major element of sports gambling and ushered in the technology that revolutionized sports gambling.