The USA 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 US. Laws that related to sports gambling and other standards have been changing and these changes are actually described as “Waves”. The first of such waves was during the Colonial Period that lasted up until the 1800s. The next wave took place following the US Civil war up until 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 while in the Colonial era were adopted towards sports and also other gambling, possessing 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 each of them involved opportunism, risk taking and high expectations.
Illegal sports betting has become linked to 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 put in place by organized crime all over 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 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 prevent gamblers from taking any benefit of delays by making sure they posted winning bets before official results were out.
The Federal Government of the US cracked upon mobsters and organized crime over the 1950s and drove them outside 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 in the nation but it is obvious that organized crime still manages all of the big bucks in betting.
Animal fights also have a long history in the US despite the bad 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 money are usually present in the course of these fights.
History of illegal gambling in sports reveals that cockfighting was illegal and banned by most states in the US over 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 have possibilities to win money is a “bet” and therefore also considered 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.
