History of unlawful betting in sports
The USA has a long history of illegal gambling in sports. Gambling scandals and political control have led to the prohibition and regulation of sports gambling in the USA. Laws that related to sports gambling and other standards have been changing and these changes are actually described as “Waves”. The first of these waves was in the Colonial Period that lasted up until the 1800s. The next wave came about following the US Civil war till the early Twentieth century. The third of such waves started in the Great Depression till date.
Sports gambling has always been illegal in the US. Puritan attitudes during the Colonial era were adopted towards sports and also 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 betting has become associated with mobsters and organized crime in the United States. Illegal sports gambling was a huge business for gang mobsters in the 1920s and 1930s. Organized bookmaking systems were put in place 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 of all the casino betting business. Mobsters controlled illegal nationwide wire services Trans America Wire and Continental Wire Service. Mobsters like the infamous Al Capone set up their own wire services to stop gamblers from taking any benefit from delays by making sure they posted winning bets before formal results were out.
The Federal Government of the US cracked down on mobsters and organized crime during the 1950s and forced 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 operating within the nation but it is evident that organized crime still manages all of the big bucks in betting.
Animal fights furthermore have a long history in the US despite the bad 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 most states in the US during the 1800s. It is still illegal currently in 48 states. Legal issues in Minnesota makes any king of gambling bet Illegal. Thus any sort of card game where you’ve got to pay to participate in a game and have chances to win money is a “bet” and thus also considered to be illegal gambling. It is essential to keep in mind that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 only deals with the funding of internet gambling not the specific act of betting.