The history of sports betting in the usa dates back to the times when the founders took risks. Back then bettors bet on cockfights, makeshift horse races and bare fist fights. Colonists and Pioneers that landed in the US from Europe and England specifically had betting within their veins because their ancestors gambled for generations. Therefore “sports betting” was obviously a normal part and parcel of the early American culture.
Today it is obvious that sports betting activities are definitely the craze all over the world. With all the simplicity of online sports betting, it has made the sport all the more convenient and cheaper. Though in the past the sports betting section was small, today it has permeated virtually every facet 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 very quickly gamblers coming from all sectors of society flocked to these racing establishments. Bookies had a hold over 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 for a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached a summit with more than 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 had been “fixed” rocked the US and the public acquired an adverse view of sports bettors. Although gambling was illegal a lot of 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 as popular as ever 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 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 almost three decades.
Established in 1930 the corporation set lines in sports events and dispersed them to bookmakers in 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 widely used was The Green Sheet. He was legitimate despite the fact that his clients were illegal bookies.
Sports gambling was finally legalized in Nevada in 1931 and also the states finances which was in dire straits at that time, transformed significantly. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities caused it to be a hot spot for tourists and this also changed its economic condition for the better.
A resolution was passed in 1951 by way of 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 initial legal sports books in Nevada and they were occasionally called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a major element of sports gambling and brought in the technology that completely changed sports gambling.