The historical past of sports betting in the usa extends back to the occasions when the founders took risks. Back then gamblers 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 in their veins as their ancestors gambled for generations. Therefore “sports betting” was a normal part and parcel with the early American culture.
Today it is obvious that sports betting activities are the craze around the globe. With the simplicity of on-line sports betting, it has made the activity all the more convenient and cheaper. Though previously the sports betting section was small, today it’s permeated almost every facet of society.
Horse racing was popular in the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was appreciated mainly by 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 in addition 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 was big money on a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached the summit with over 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 received a negative view of sports bettors. Though gambling was illegal a lot of people regarded sports gambling to be a harmless victimless crime. College football games and basketball also gained popularity with bettors as baseball and boxing. Pool cards were extremely popular even though the odds of these cards were in the bookies favor.
In most 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 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 nearly 30 years.
Established in 1930 this company set lines in sports events and distributed those to bookmakers in 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 had been 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 also the states financial situation which was in dire straits at that time, changed drastically. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities made it a hot spot for tourists and this altered 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 sometimes called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a major part of sports gambling and brought in the technology that completely changed sports gambling.