The history of sports betting in the US 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 arrived in the US from Europe and England in particular had betting within their veins as their ancestors gambled for generations. Therefore “sports betting” was obviously a normal part and parcel of the early American culture betting bonus.
Today it is obvious that sports betting activities are the craze around the globe. With the ease of on-line sports betting, it has made the sport much more convenient and cheaper. Though in the past the sports betting section was small, today it’s permeated virtually every facet of society.
Horse racing was popular from the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was appreciated mainly by way of the upper class. But horse tracks started to appear after the Civil War and very quickly gamblers from all sectors of society flocked to these racing establishments. Bookies had a hold on the gambling population and they were setting odds on horses that enhanced 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 a summit with over 300 racetracks throughout the US.
Professional baseball gained popularity from 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 illegal most people considered 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 section of life and most 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 almost three decades.
Established in 1930 this company set lines in sports events and dispersed those to bookmakers in the nation via the telegraph or telephone He also published sports information that helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make better decisions. The publication that had been most popular was The Green Sheet. He was legitimate even though his customers were illegal bookies.
Sports gambling was finally legalized in Nevada in 1931 and the states financial situation which had been in dire straits at that time, changed 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 continue.
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 sometimes called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a major part of sports gambling and brought in the technology that completely changed sports gambling.