The history of sports betting in the usa dates back to the occasions when the founders took risks. In the past gamblers bet on cockfights, makeshift horse races and bare fist fights. Colonists and Pioneers that arrived in the US from Europe and England in particular had betting within their veins as their ancestors gambled for generations. As a result “sports betting” was a normal part and parcel with the early American culture.
Today it is obvious that sports betting activities are definitely the craze around the globe. With the simplicity of on-line sports betting, it has made the sport 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 mostly by way of the upper class. But horse tracks began to appear following the Civil War and soon gamblers coming from all sectors of society flocked to those racing establishments. Bookies had a hold on the gambling population and 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 a lot of money on a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached the 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 was “fixed” rocked the united states and the public received a negative view of sports bettors. Though gambling was against the law a lot of people regarded sports gambling to be a harmless victimless crime. College football and basketball also gained popularity with bettors as baseball and boxing. Pool cards were as popular as ever although 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 most youngsters were being exposed to the sports betting industry in 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 nearly three decades.
Established in 1930 the corporation set lines in sports events and dispersed those to bookmakers within the nation through the telegraph or telephone He also published sports information which helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make smarter decisions. The publication that had been 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 the year 1931 and also the states finances which had been in dire straits at that time, changed drastically. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities made it 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 initial legal sports books in Nevada and they were occasionally called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a significant element of sports gambling and brought in the technology that completely changed sports gambling.