Not only do fans simply enjoy watching but they also like to place wagers on the events. Sports betting actually has a long history and has been around for centuries.
Historians find it rather difficult to determine exactly when sports betting began. They do know it’s been around for thousands of years when people placed wagers on the outcome of an event. Betting was common in Ancient Rome where bets could be placed only in the city of Rome at chariot races or the circus. Of course, legality has never stopped people from placing bets. The pastime continued through the years into modern times.
One pattern does remain true in regards to sports betting and that is the legality of the activity. Through the centuries, the prevalence of betting varied according to the tide of politics within a nation’s government. In recent times, gambling has been regulated as some see it as providing an open door to organized crime. However, many are seeing it as a way to improve upon tax revenues, helping nations provide more services to their citizens.
In recent decades, one of the biggest changes in sports betting was the addition of the internet. When casinos began to offer their games online, the past time took off. Adding sports betting to online gaming was a natural fit as well. In fact, sports fans find it much more convenient to place their bets online. Also, with the availability of numerous sports book sites, fans can shop around for the best odds as well as promotions being offered.
Today, sports betting is a major industry and attracts a lot of customers. Given this success, it appears to be around for good.
“The pastime continued through the years into modern times.”
Modern sports betting came about primarily from horse racing. In the UK, betting on horses became popular in the early 18th century once more the two-horse races became common. New World countries followed suit and by the late 19th century countries like US, Canada and New Zealand had formally established laws to govern gambling. The next major advancement in sports gambling was the emergence of online casinos in the 1990’s and related sportsbooks. There are now hundreds of online gambling options that are beginning to dominate the traditional bookmaking. Legalities do remain however and although online gambling remains restricted in the US, Canadians wanting to bet on sports are free to play at Betway, and New Zealanders enjoy playing at sites like Guts.
