History of illegal betting in sports
The USA has a long history of illegal gambling in sports. Gambling scandals and political control have ended in the prohibition and regulating sports gambling in the US. Laws that connected with sports gambling and other standards have already been changing and the changes are actually named “Waves”. The earliest of such waves was during the Colonial Period that lasted till the 1800s. The next wave took place at the end of the US Civil war up until the early Twentieth century. The 3rd of such waves started during the Great Depression till date.
Sports gambling has always been illegal in America. Puritan attitudes during the Colonial era were adopted towards sports and other gambling, possessing cards, gaming tables, dice etc. Later on it was only allowed if this had not been a trade but only innocent recreation. Early settlers had the view that gambling was just a harmless past time. Gambling was likened to the frontier spirit as both of them involved opportunism, risk taking and high expectations.
Illegal sports betting has become associated with 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 throughout 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 such as infamous Al Capone put in place their own wire services to prevent gamblers from getting any benefit from delays by making sure they posted winning bets before official results were out.
The Federal Government of the US cracked down on mobsters and organized crime over the 1950s and drove them out of the Nevada Casino gambling industry. But this would not deter the organized crime mobsters who took over illegal bookmaking. Law Enforcement authorities do acknowledge that independent bookies are functioning within the nation yet it is obvious that organized crime still manages all the big money in betting.
Animal fights furthermore have a long history in the US in spite of the not so good reputation it’s got. Most animal fights involve dog fights and cock fights that have become favored by street gangs and big numbers of weapons and cash usually are present at the time of these fights.
History of illegal gambling in sports reveals that cockfighting was illegal and banned by nearly all states the United States during the 1800s. It is still 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 pay to take part in a game and have possibilities to win cash is a “bet” and therefore also thought to be illegal gambling. It is essential to note that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 only refers to the funding of internet gambling not the actual act of betting.
