How Sports Betting in America Developed
Sports betting is a big part of the history of certain American States. If you didn’t know, sports betting was a really big thing in America back in the day.
If you didn’t know that it was a really big thing back then, then you shouldn’t feel bad about it at all. That is because it was banned some time ago.
Today though, this ban is slowly being lifted in certain states of the United States. Steps are being taken for it to be made more legal in more states in America.
On that note, it is worthy to revisit the history of sports betting in America. Studying the history of sports betting allows us to understand why it was banned in the first place, and ensure that we do not repeat the same mistakes that were made from before and avoid what banned it in the first place.
Red Hook Bait and Tackle presents the history of sports betting in three stages.
The Origin of American Sports Betting
Betting is not actually a new concept. It has actually existed in our world for the past hundreds, if not thousands of years. It seems to be a primal feeling between individuals when they compare their guesses for a certain event and see which one is correct.
In the United States of America, betting saw its first inceptions way back before the Revolutionary War. At the time, horseracing had just been established in the country. This particular sport came from England, across the pond where it was a very famous sport.
In 1868, approximately 200 years after, horseracing and betting on the races became an enterprise in the country that was very organized. More money and time was being spent on it. By the 1900s though, it was regrettably deemed illegal.
However, because of it, sports betting was already an established and organized enterprise in many different sports. The problem was that it was negatively affecting other sports.
How the Ban Started in America
Due to the lucrative nature of betting, “game fixing” came into being. In game fixing, one team or player would purposely lose while placing a sizable bet on their opponents to win. This would allow them to win a lot of money if the odds are right.
This was happening more often. Due to this, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) was established. The PASPA law made betting in America illegal. Only certain states, such as Nevada, were spared this.
Legalization Has Come Again
When the 21st century came, surveys taken by different people in the United States showed that people preferred to have legal sports gambling. As time went on, the number of these people have only increased in number.
The spark that started it all happened in 2012. New Jersey was the first state to be legally licensed. A suit was brought forth afterwards, stating that PASPA’s ban was infringing on the rights of the states. It is currently being considered.
Now, states such as Pennsylvania and West Virginia apart from others have started drafting rules to their commissions.
It is only a matter of time before the legalization of gambling on these states happens.
However, there are still no safeguards to the corrupting nature of betting. This is still something that people should be aware of.
The history of sports betting is an important story that people should understand.
We here at Red Hook Bait and Tackle hope that betting stays pure and that it does not taint the rest of the sports.
