The United States has a long history of illegal gambling in sports. Gambling scandals and political control have led to the prohibition and regulation of sports gambling in the US. Laws that related to sports gambling and other standards have already been changing and the changes are actually described as “Waves”. The first of such waves was during the Colonial Period that lasted till the 1800s. The second wave took place at the end of the US Civil war till the early Twentieth century. The third of such waves started in the Great Depression till date.
Sports gambling has always been illegal in America. Puritan attitudes while in the Colonial era were adopted towards sports and other gambling, possession of cards, gaming tables, dice etc. Later on it was only allowed if this was not a trade but only innocent recreation. Early settlers had the view that gambling was just a harmless past time. Gambling was likened to the frontier spirit as each of them involved opportunism, risk taking and high expectations.
Illegal sports betting has become associated with mobsters and organized crime in the United States. Illegal sports gambling was a huge business for gang mobsters while in the 1920s and 1930s. Organized bookmaking systems were set up by organized crime throughout the nation. Horse racing betting shot to popularity in those times.
In 1931 Nevada legalized casino gambling and here too organized crime took control over all the casino betting business. Mobsters operated illegal nationwide wire services Trans America Wire and Continental Wire Service. Mobsters such as infamous Al Capone put in place their own personal wire services to stop gamblers from getting any benefit from delays by making sure they posted winning wagers before official results were out.
The Federal Government of the US cracked down on mobsters and organized crime over the 1950s and drove them out of the Nevada Casino gambling industry. But this would not deter the organized crime mobsters who took over illegal bookmaking. Law Enforcement authorities do acknowledge that independent bookies are operating in the nation but it is obvious that organized crime still controls all of the big bucks in betting.
Animal fights furthermore have a long history the United States in spite of the bad reputation it’s got. Most animal fights include dog fights and cock fights that have become popular with street gangs and big amounts of weapons and money usually are present in the course of these fights.
History of illegal gambling in sports reveals that cockfighting was illegal and banned by most states the United States over the 1800s. It remains illegal currently in 48 states. Legal issues in Minnesota makes any king of gambling bet Illegal. Thus any sort of card game where one has to spend to participate in a game and have possibilities to win cash is a “bet” and thus also thought to be illegal gambling. It is important to keep in mind that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 only deals with the funding of internet gambling not the actual act of betting.