History of sports wagering
The history of sports gambling 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 arrived 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 a normal part and parcel of the early American culture.
Today it is obvious that sports betting activities are the craze around the globe. With the ease of online sports betting, it’s made the sport much more convenient and cheaper. Though in the past the sports betting section was small, today it has permeated virtually every element of society.
Horse racing was popular in the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was enjoyed mainly by 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 enhanced the betting handle. Bookies would reduce the odds on other horses to enhance their attractiveness when there seemed to be a lot of money on a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached the peak with more than 300 racetracks all over the US.
Professional baseball gained popularity 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. Though gambling was against the law most people considered sports gambling to be a harmless victimless crime. College football games and basketball also became popular 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 transforming into a part of life and most youngsters were being exposed to the sports betting industry at a very young age. Some experts 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 almost 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 better decisions. The publication that was most popular 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 also the states financial situation which had been in dire straits at that time, changed drastically. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities caused it to be a hot spot for tourists and this changed 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 sometimes called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a significant part of sports gambling and ushered in the technology that revolutionized sports gambling.