When, Exactly, Did Organized Sports Betting Begin?

[ritehook]

Likely there were side bets between friends on early baseball game after the Civil War, or on college foots in the late 1800s.

But nothing orgianized, nor even remotely approaching what we have today.

I know their were football lines (bssketball too?) coming out of the Midwest (was it Milwaukee, of all places?) in the late 1930s. So "modern" style betting began then?

Is there any verified record of sports betting in America (or overseas for that matter) happening on any orgainzed basis before the 1930s?

[donjuan]

Is there any verified record of sports betting in America (or overseas for that matter) happening on any orgainzed basis before the 1930s?

You think the Black Sox scandal occurred because of a few bets between friends?

[ritehook]

You think the Black Sox scandal occurred because of a few bets between friends?

Well, now that you mentioned it, I do recall that NY gambler Arnold Rothstein had a hand in it.

So, there were orgainized books taking bets on the games. Baseball then, anyway.

If there is a book in existence on the history of American sports betting I'd be interested in reading it.

[pico]

you can bet on the gladiator matches in the old days, i bet there gotta be a bookie somewhere taking bets whether the redcoats will kill all the minute men at -3000 odds

[Saunders FTW]

i have also thought about this question

[Saunders FTW]

you can bet on the gladiator matches in the old days, i bet there gotta be a bookie somewhere taking bets whether the redcoats will kill all the minute men at -3000 odds

haha