The United States has a long history of illegal gambling in sports. Gambling scandals and political control have led to the prohibition and regulating sports gambling in the USA. Laws that connected with sports gambling along with other standards have already been changing and the changes are actually named “Waves”. The first of these waves was in the Colonial Period that lasted up until the 1800s. The next wave came about at the end of the US Civil war up until the early 20th century. The 3rd of such waves started during the Great Depression till date.
Sports gambling has always been illegal in America. Puritan attitudes while in the Colonial era were adopted towards sports and also other gambling, possession of cards, gaming tables, dice etc. Down the line it was only allowed if it had not been a trade but only innocent recreation. Early settlers had the view that gambling was just 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 became a huge business for gang mobsters in the 1920s and 1930s. Organized bookmaking systems were put in place by organized crime all over the nation. Horse racing betting became popular 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 personal wire services to prevent gamblers from taking any benefit from delays by making sure they posted winning bets before official results were out.
The Federal Government of the usa cracked upon mobsters and organized crime during the 1950s and forced 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 yet it is obvious that organized crime still controls all the big bucks in betting.
Animal fights also have a long history in the US despite the not so good reputation it has. Most animal fights involve dog fights and cock fights that have become 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 nearly all states the United States 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 one has to spend to participate in a game and have 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 deals with the funding of internet gambling not the specific act of betting.
