The historical past of sports betting in the usa dates back on the occasions when the founders took risks. In the past bettors 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 in their veins because their ancestors gambled for generations. Therefore “sports betting” was obviously a natural part and parcel with the early American culture.
Today it is obvious that sports betting activities are the craze all over the world. With all the simplicity of online sports betting, it’s made the sport all the 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 from the 19th and early 20th Centuries and was appreciated mostly by the upper class. But horse tracks began to appear after the Civil War and very quickly gamblers coming from all sectors of society flocked to those racing establishments. Bookies had a hold over the gambling population and in addition they were setting odds on horses that enhanced the betting handle. Bookies would lower the odds on other horses to enhance their attractiveness when there seemed to be a lot of money for a particular horse. By 1920s horse racing had reached a peak with over 300 racetracks all over the US.
Professional baseball gained popularity in 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. Although gambling was against the law a lot of people regarded sports gambling to be a harmless victimless crime. College football 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 most US cities, sports gambling activities were becoming a part of life and most youngsters were being exposed to the sports betting industry in a very young age. Some professionals 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 those to bookmakers within the nation through the telegraph or telephone He also published sports information which helped bookies produce better lines and gamblers make better 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 ultimately legalized in Nevada in the year 1931 and also the states finances which had been in dire straits at that time, transformed drastically. Legalized boxing and sports gambling activities caused it to be a hot spot for tourists and this also 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 first legal sports books in Nevada and they were sometimes called “sawdust” rooms. In 1980s Roxborough became a major part of sports gambling and ushered in the technology that revolutionized sports gambling.