History of sports wagering
The history of sports gambling in the US 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 united states from Europe and England specifically had betting within their veins because their ancestors gambled for generations. Therefore “sports betting” was a normal part and parcel with the early American culture live betting.
Today there’s no question that sports betting activities are definitely the craze around the globe. With all the simplicity of on-line sports betting, it’s made the sport all the more convenient and cheaper. Though in the past the sports betting segment was small, today it has permeated virtually every facet of society.
Horse racing was popular from the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was appreciated mostly by way of the upper class. But horse tracks started to appear after the Civil War and soon gamblers coming from all sectors of society flocked to these 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 big money on a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached a peak with over 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 had been “fixed” rocked the united states and the public received a negative view of sports bettors. Although gambling was illegal a lot of 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 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 coming in contact with 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 nearly three decades.
Established in 1930 the corporation set lines in sports events and distributed them to bookmakers within the nation via the telegraph or telephone He also published sports information which helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make smarter 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, changed significantly. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities caused it to be a hot spot for tourists and this altered its economic condition for the better useful link.
A resolution was passed in 1951 by 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 first legal sports books in Nevada and they were sometimes called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a significant part of sports gambling and ushered in the technology that revolutionized sports gambling.