The United States has a long history of illegal gambling in sports. Gambling scandals and political control have led to the prohibition and regulating sports gambling in the USA. Laws that connected with sports gambling and other standards have already been changing and the changes have been named “Waves”. The earliest of such waves was in the Colonial Period that lasted up until the 1800s. The next wave came about at the end of the US Civil war till the early 20th century. The third of such waves started during the Great Depression till date.
Sports gambling has always been illegal in the US. 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 it was not a trade but only innocent recreation. Early settlers had the view that gambling was only a harmless past time. Gambling was likened to the frontier spirit as both of them involved opportunism, risk taking and high expectations.
Illegal sports gambling has become linked to mobsters and organized crime in the United States. Illegal sports gambling became a huge business for gang mobsters while in the 1920s and 1930s. Organized bookmaking systems were set up by organized crime all over 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 like the infamous Al Capone set up their own personal wire services to prevent gamblers from taking any benefit of delays by making sure they posted winning bets before official results were out.
The Federal Government of the usa cracked upon mobsters and organized crime over the 1950s and drove them out of the Nevada Casino gambling industry. But this did not dissuade the organized crime mobsters who took over illegal bookmaking. Law Enforcement authorities do acknowledge that independent bookies are functioning in the nation but it is evident that organized crime still manages all the big bucks in betting.
Animal fights furthermore have a long history in the US in spite of the bad reputation it’s got. Most animal fights involve dog fights and cock fights which are today popular with street gangs and large amounts of weapons and money usually are present in the course of these fights.
History of illegal gambling in sports uncovers that cockfighting was illegal and banned by most states the United States over the 1800s. It remains illegal today 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 take part in a game and have chances to win cash is a “bet” and therefore also considered to be illegal gambling. It is essential to keep in mind that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 only refers to the funding of internet gambling not the specific act of betting.
The post History of illegal betting in sports appeared first on Bet4al.