Ever since there have been
sports, there have been people compelled to bet
on the results. The founders of America were
risk-takers by nature, hence the obvious attraction to gambling
in all
forms.
Back then, people bet on their neighbours horse races, bare-knuckle
brawls and cockfights. If there was
a
sport to be played, there was somebody somewhere who was
willing to bet on it. Colonists had gambling
in their blood since their fathers and grandfathers had been
doing it for generations - not only hoping for a bit of profit
but largely as a form on leisure and entertainment. . Sports
betting, it seems, was a natural part
of the culture of the early Americans.
The first ever recorded sports bets, took place on 10 September
1858, two spectators watching a game between the Brooklyn
Eckfords and the New York Mutuals, placed a 100$ bet as to
whether or not John Holden would hit a home run. John Holden
himself was assured
25$ if he hit, he did and after the game all the debts were
settled.
In 1865 again, in a match between the same teams, three
players from the Mutuals agreed to deliberately loose a game
in return
of $100 each.
After the scandal involving the 1877 Louisville Grays and
other fixed games prompted American League President Ban
Johnson to
impose a ban on all gambling inside.
Today, betting on sports is more popular then ever before.
Last year, Nevada took in almost $2 billion in betting
handle via
more than 150 sports books in the state. That is just a
small percentage, however, of the money bet worldwide.
An article published in 2003 estimated that
the online sports betting industry takes in $63 billion a year.
It has also been estimated that one in every four Americans
bets on a sporting
event at least once a year and that 15 percent of the
U.S.
population bets on sports regularly.
One thing is for certain: sports betting is here to
stay. There are many factors that have played a part
in this growth and there have been many colorful characters
that have made
their contributions to the sports betting industry over the
years. It will probably continue to expand exponentially
in the future, despite the federal government's attempts
to limit its growth. The possibilities, most agree, are endless.
"Sports bettors used to be a real small segment of
the betting public," says Bob Scucci, race and sports
book director for the Stardust Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. "The
industry has elevated above that now. It goes through the
entire middle class family to the professional [bettor] to
the guy off the street. It just permeates through every facet
of society."
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