When it comes to sports betting, there are generally two schools of thought: those who love it and those who hate it. Although the majority of people still believe that sports betting is an illegal activity, those who love it argue that it is a fantastic opportunity to make money from gambling. For decades, the laws concerning sports betting have been unclear, which has made it a great opportunity for the betting industry to thrive, providing them with an endless stream of opportunities for wagers.
Early Origins
It is generally accepted that Blackjack came first, being developed in Europe in the mid to late 1800s. It was originally played with a single deck of cards and there were no wagering elements. It was known as “Vulgar Poker” and was played throughout the United States and Europe until the early 1900s.
After Blackjack came Poker, which is generally accepted to have been invented in America. It too was originally played with a single deck of cards and there were no wagering elements. It was first played in American casinos during the 1960s and is currently one of the most popular games at both legal and illegal casinos around the world.
The third and final major poker innovation is EPT (European Poker Tour) poker, which was developed in Germany around 1970. It was played with a full deck of cards and there were betting tables similar to those seen in Monte Carlo. EPT is now played throughout Europe, South Africa, and South America.
How Did Sports Betting Begin?
While the above games can all be considered to be “poker” games, they weren’t necessarily the inspiration for the modern sports betting industry. That distinction goes to Napoleon, who, during the Napoleonic Wars, saw the opportunity to make a lot of money from gambling, especially since most of his soldiers were becoming addicted to gambling. This is mainly because of the war, which had led to a lack of money. Due to this, Napoleon legalized gambling in France in an effort to help its citizens. He later restricted it to venues like the palace and other government buildings. Even today, many countries have a bad reputation for not legalizing gambling.
In an effort to provide his soldiers with some excitement during the long winter nights, Napoleon invented horse race betting, which eventually became the foundation of modern sports betting. He would place a large sum of money on the game’s outcome and his soldiers would gather around to watch the horse races which were often held in the evening. They would shout “enjoué”, which is the French word for “good luck”, when their horse won. This eventually lead to the creation of the Enjoué Stakes, one of the first ever horse races, which were held in 1805 in Paris.
This was mainly due to Napoleon’s desire to create an entertaining distraction for his soldiers, as well as provide them with a way to win back some of their losses. It wasn’t long before other European countries followed suit and began promoting horse racing as a way of attracting wealthy and well-educated individuals, as well as providing them with a way to unwind. This in turn led to the development of other iconic sports such as golf and tennis, both of which were invented in Scotland, as well as ice hockey, despite its origins in North America.
Nowadays, it is mostly considered that Napoleon was the first to create a sport that we know today as “bucking”, which involves betting on the outcome of a horse race. It was first played during the Stakes, which were established in 1805 and continue to this day. Since then, the popularity of the games has grown, not only due to the entertainment factor but also because of the huge financial opportunities that they present. Today, it is not uncommon for people to make hundreds of thousands of dollars per year from just playing golf or tennis.
What About Dice Then?
Amongst the many games that Napoleon invented were two-player games which used rolling dice to determine the outcome. One of these was called “Loto”, which was a game similar to craps. Loto was first played in casinos during the early 1900s in Europe and it continues to this day. It is generally considered to be the ancestor of the modern day craps game. Another two-player game that Napoleon invented was called “Dice”. The playing cards of today were first used as tokens in Dice, which were then settled at the end of play using dice. It was first played in New York City during the early 1900s and it continues to this day.
Although these games held great entertainment value for Napoleon’s soldiers, they were mainly developed for entertainment purposes. It wasn’t until later that these games evolved into the sports books that we know today.
The Growth Of The Sport
After establishing a solid foundation with the development of horse racing, it wasn’t long before other sports began to pop up around Europe. It was first introduced in England and Wales in 1868 and then spread to Scotland in 1874. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that the games transitioned from being mainly for entertainment purposes to opportunities for skilled bettors to make money. This is mainly because of the birth of organized crime in Europe, which later evolved into the Italian Mafia and the Russian Revolution. The Italian Mafia greatly influenced the development of the sports betting industry in the country, which became so successful that it led to the emergence of “gangsters”, as they are known in the country. This, in turn, influenced the creation of the modern sports betting industry in Italy, which began in earnest in the early 1900s. It wasn’t only Italy either. Organized crime also had great influences on the development of the sports betting industry in Russia as well.
It wasn’t only European countries either. The rise of Asian gambling in the early 20th century also had a great influence on the development of the sports betting industry. There was a great deal of migration between Europe and Asia at that time, which put a great deal of pressure on the country’s “fledgling” betting industries. It wasn’t only about money either. Many Asian countries didn’t have much of an interest in importing Western ideals. This was particularly the case for Japan, which banned video games and established censorship guidelines in order to protect its culture. This is why the development of the Japanese sports betting industry lagged behind that of its counterparts in Europe and America. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that Japan began to open up and allow for more freedoms, which naturally lead to the development of the Japanese sports betting industry.
The Expansion Of The Industry
It wasn’t only about establishing new markets for wagering either. In addition to importing other games and sports, European countries began looking for ways to expand their own betting industries. It wasn’t long before they began establishing websites which specialized in providing odds for international sports bettors. This is mainly because there were so many restrictions surrounding online gambling at the time. It wasn’t until the mid-2000s that the online betting markets opened up and regulation began to ease.
One of the first countries to do this was America, where legislation was passed which allowed for online sports betting in 2014. In the years since then, other countries have followed suit and today, there are thousands of websites which provide odds for international sports bettors.
It wasn’t only about establishing new markets either. Countries which had been born out of the ashes of the last ice age began to rekindle their interest in sports. It wasn’t long before they too began establishing websites which specialized in providing odds for international sports bettors. Some of the more notable examples include Germany, which has the most extensive sports betting market in Europe, and Norway, where the entire country took to betting on sports en masse. The development of these markets can be credited to the rise of the “superfan”, which began in the 1950s and continued through to the present day.
The Present Day
It wasn’t only about establishing new markets either. Today, the sports betting industry continues to grow, not only because of established markets but also due to the introduction of new games and forms of entertainment which allow for online betting. For example, if someone loves to travel, then there are lots of trips abroad which they can fund through online betting. The industry continues to grow as more and more countries begin to legalize gambling and set up regulations which embrace online gaming.
Along with this growth comes a lot of money and opportunity for those willing to take the plunge. It isn’t uncommon for athletes, stars, and teams to put cash on the line, especially as illegal betting, or “underground” betting, has become so prevalent.