When did sportsbetting really start ?

Doug · Sep 11, 2013

I know of the 1919 Black Sox where this team threw the WS being paid off by gamblers. Were there really sports bettors back then....I mean big time guys like Fishhead, Fezzik, Gyno, Billy Walters, trytrytry, Beantownjeem, and the like ?

I don't think football even existed in 1919, no NBA either, so no college sports either. No odd stuff like tennis or curling. I'm sure nobody bet hockey back then.

How could a bookie get any action on the W/S when you couldn't even watch it on TV ?

What could a bookie book in 1919 ?

I'd ask Wilheim but is apparently departed permanetly ?

douglas · Sep 11, 2013

Arnold Rothstein......

TopShelf11 · Sep 11, 2013

St. Paul Minnesota

TopShelf11 · Sep 11, 2013

Mid 1930sAthletic Publications, Inc. was established by Leo Hirschfield in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It became the oddsmaking standard for the sports betting world for three decades. It set the lines in all sports and distributed them to bookies across the USA via telephone and telegraph.

Bourn · Sep 11, 2013

TopShelf11 said:
Mid 1930sAthletic Publications, Inc. was established by Leo Hirschfield in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It became the oddsmaking standard for the sports betting world for three decades. It set the lines in all sports and distributed them to bookies across the USA via telephone and telegraph.

Think those lines were sharp back then? lol

rolltide · Sep 11, 2013

plenty of betting on boxing and horse racing back then

TopShelf11 · Sep 11, 2013

Yea I'm sure horse racing and boxing were being bet on before the Civil War....as far as sports being bet on with a line it was the early 1930's. Minneapolis police and law enforcement had an unwritten agreement with the gangsters/mafia that the law would leave them alone and let them lay low as long as they wanted as long as they were stirring shit up and robbing banks like they were doing all over the country.

silver7 · Sep 11, 2013

RT is right. Untill a bunch of guys so the story goes, in a place called the Lincoln Rec. devised a system to even out a gm in Hoops & Foots, the majority of wagering was on boxing. bases, & horses. Someone said we "spot" a guy in straight pool, why not these sports? Thus the "spread" was born. I worked w/a guy that was older than me, believe it or not. Name of Nate Fink, these were a bunch of jewish gamblers he knew & he was there. Look up the name Isidore Bloomfield, his pal & big time hood in those days. (Kid Kahn) And YES there were bookies even then. They laid +1200 on the Christians!!

loomis41973 · Sep 11, 2013

Been going on forever...the greeks and romans bet.

Horse Racing was huge in the 1800's

Doug · Sep 11, 2013

I was thinking baseball, boxing and horses/ dogs as the only option in 1919....I just can't see betting much on stuff you can't watch on TV and radio wouldn't really cut it, IMO !

I'd say lets play poker instead of betting these other limited options circa 1919.

obviously monies bet couldn't be put into pools OTB style back then

what would the vig be on a pick'em game ? I'm thinking like -120 each way ?

I know the numbers game was based off of the published track handle at major racetracks ( last 3 numbers) and usually paid at 500:1 for a 1,000: probability.... pretty stupid bet , but a Welfare type might play it.

Doug · Sep 11, 2013

loomis41973 said:
Been going on forever...the greeks and romans bet.

Horse Racing was huge in the 1800's

the Greeks and Romans bet on some pretty harsh stuff !

I'm not so sure about horse racing in the 1800's .... got any links ?

loomis41973 · Sep 11, 2013

http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/97/03/chapt2.html

loomis41973 · Sep 11, 2013

Would think betting on cock fighting has been around for awhile too

3peet · Sep 11, 2013

Probably just as far back as when hookers started.

KingofNicotine · Sep 11, 2013

Betting has to be as old as humanity. If you're talking about betting lines and odds that's a good question.

loomis41973 · Sep 11, 2013

3peet said:
Probably just as far back as when hookers started.

Not even close....thanks for the song girl/prostitute pic tho

KingofNicotine · Sep 11, 2013

loomis41973 said:
Not even close....thanks for the song girl/prostitute pic tho

You're nuts if you don't think it is as old as dirt.

Anytime bystanders are watching some kind of competition there will gambling of some kind.

loomis41973 · Sep 11, 2013

Guess im nuts then...there was pussy long before there was any kind of sports competition

KillaRSox · Sep 11, 2013

You don't think they were betting on the Gladiators back in the day?

Lion -220
Gladiator +140

But honestly I would think there were wager placed before we would even think of...

YourAllAmerican · Sep 11, 2013

My best estimate: The first sports bet was placed 30 seconds before the first footrace ever run.

When did sportsbetting really start ?

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