The United States has a long history of illegal gambling in sports. Gambling scandals and political control have ended in the prohibition and regulation of sports gambling in the USA. Laws that related to sports gambling and other standards have already been changing and these changes have been described as “Waves”. The earliest of these waves was in the Colonial Period that lasted up until the 1800s. The next wave came about following the US Civil war up until the early Twentieth century. The 3rd of such waves started in the Great Depression till date.
Sports gambling has long been illegal in America. 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 this was not a trade but only innocent recreation. Early settlers had the view that gambling was only a harmless hobby. Gambling was likened to the frontier spirit as both of them involved opportunism, risk taking and high expectations.
Illegal sports gambling has become associated with mobsters and organized crime in the US. Illegal sports gambling was 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 during this period.
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 such as infamous Al Capone put in place their own wire services to stop gamblers from getting any benefit of delays by making sure they posted winning bets before formal results were out.
The Federal Government of the US cracked upon 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 controls all the big money in betting.
Animal fights also have a long history the United States in spite of the not so good reputation it’s got. Most animal fights involve dog fights and cock fights which are today favored by street gangs and big numbers of weapons and cash are usually present in the course of these fights.
History of illegal gambling in sports reveals that cockfighting was illegal and banned by nearly all states in the US during the 1800s. It remains illegal currently in 48 states. The law in Minnesota makes any king of gambling bet Illegal. Thus any sort of card game where one has to spend to participate in a game and possess chances to win money is a “bet” and thus also thought 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 actual act of betting.
