The historical past of sports betting in the usa extends back to the times when the founders took risks. In the past gamblers bet on cockfights, makeshift horse races and bare fist fights. Colonists and Pioneers that landed in the US from Europe and England in particular had betting within their veins because their ancestors gambled for generations. Therefore “sports betting” was a natural part and parcel of the early American culture.
Today it is obvious that sports betting activities are the rage around the globe. With the simplicity of online sports betting, it’s made the activity much more convenient and cheaper. Though in the past the sports betting segment was small, today it has permeated almost every facet of society.
Horse racing was popular in the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was enjoyed mainly by way of 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 increased the betting handle. Bookies would lower the odds on other horses to increase their attractiveness when there seemed to be a lot of money for 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 US and the public acquired an adverse view of sports bettors. Though 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 even though the odds of these cards were in the bookies favor.
In the majority of US cities, sports gambling activities were transforming into a section of life and many youngsters were coming in contact with the sports betting industry in a very early 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 this company set lines in sports events and distributed them to bookmakers within the nation via the telegraph or telephone He also printed 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 despite the fact that his customers were illegal bookies.
Sports gambling was finally legalized in Nevada in the year 1931 and the states finances which was in dire straits during those times, transformed significantly. 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 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 occasionally called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a significant element of sports gambling and ushered in the technology that completely changed sports gambling.
