The United States 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 along with other standards have been changing and these changes are actually named “Waves”. The earliest of these waves was in the Colonial Period that lasted till the 1800s. The next wave came about following the US Civil war up until the early 20th century. The 3rd of these waves started during the Great Depression till date.
Sports gambling has long been illegal in America. 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 this 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 each of them involved opportunism, risk taking and high expectations.
Illegal sports gambling has become associated with mobsters and organized crime in the United States. Illegal sports gambling was a huge business for gang mobsters while in the 1920s and 1930s. Organized bookmaking systems were put in place 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 of the casino betting business. Mobsters operated illegal nationwide wire services Trans America Wire and Continental Wire Service. Mobsters like the infamous Al Capone put in place their own personal wire services to prevent gamblers from getting any benefit of 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 forced them outside 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 yet it is evident that organized crime still manages all the big bucks in betting.
Animal fights also have a long history the United States despite the not so good reputation it’s got. Most animal fights involve dog fights and cock fights that have become popular with street gangs and big amounts of weapons and cash are usually present at the time of these fights.
History of illegal gambling in sports uncovers that cockfighting was illegal and banned by most states the United States over the 1800s. It is still illegal today in 48 states. The law in Minnesota makes any king of gambling bet Illegal. Thus any type of card game where one has to pay to take part in a game and possess chances to win cash 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 actual act of betting.
