The history of sports betting in the usa dates back to the occasions 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 specifically had betting in their veins as their ancestors gambled for generations. As a result “sports betting” was obviously a natural part and parcel of the early American culture.
Today there’s no question that sports betting activities are definitely the craze around the globe. With the ease of on-line sports betting, it has made the activity much more convenient and cheaper. Though previously the sports betting segment was small, today it’s permeated virtually every element of society.
Horse racing was popular from the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was enjoyed mainly by the upper class. But horse tracks began to appear after the Civil War and very quickly gamblers from all sectors of society flocked to those racing establishments. Bookies had a hold over the gambling population and 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 big money on a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached a summit with more than 300 racetracks throughout 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 US and the public received an adverse view of sports bettors. Although gambling was against the law most people regarded 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 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 most 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 hot dogs!” Soon Leo Hirschfield started Athletic Publications that became the sports betting world standard for nearly 30 years.
Established in 1930 this company set lines in sports events and dispersed 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 widely used was The Green Sheet. He was legitimate even though his customers were illegal bookies.
Sports gambling was finally legalized in Nevada in the year 1931 and also the states financial situation which was 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 the Congress that imposed 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.
