It is estimated that only 1-3% of sports betting activities are accounted for from the Nevada Sports books and quite a few of the betting is the illegal gambling in sports. The FBI estimated in 1998 that this illegal sports gambling was a business worth billions of dollars.
Illegal gambling in sports includes different types of activities. Most of these illegal bets on different sporting events are put with sportsbooks or bookies. Internet gambling is an extremely popular method of gambling. Other sports activities are the ones that are illegal and linked to gambling such as dog fighting and cockfighting.
Illegal gambling in sports has been associated with organized crime for a long time in the US. In the 1920s and 1930s illegal sports gambling was a business for gang mobsters and they also established organized bookmaking across the nation. Emphasis was on horse racing during those times. Nevada legalized casino betting in 1931 and here too organized crime managed a major portion of casino gambling business. Continental Wire Service and Trans America Wire were the 2 main illegal wire services that were operated by mobsters.
In the 1950s the government came down hard on organized crime and drove the mobsters out of the casino industry in Nevada. They were then bought out by corporations, and the mob took over the illegal bookmaking business. The majority of illegal books provide bookies which are illegal methods for spreading risks on wagers.
The act of transmitting wagering and gambling information and details across state lines for either taking or placing bets is recognized as illegal. News details concerning point spreads may be reported only for entertainment and informational purposes but a majority of US newspapers still release betting lines. This practice is defended by way of the Newspaper Association of America as “free speech” under the First Amendment of the Constitution, claiming that readers just want to learn or read about teams favored to become winners rather than for betting.
Other illegal gambling in sports involves animal fights that occur in the US in spite of the unsavory reputation it’s got. These staged fights involve animals like dogs that are trained and bred for this purpose and male chickens. This type of animal fighting is usually in the rural areas but city police reports on dog fighting and cockfighting have increased and also this sport has become the craze among gangs on the street. This type of illegal sports betting activity is a great concern to the authorities due to the weapons and large quantities of hard cash present in the fights.
The issue of illegal gambling in sports is really a question of grave concern. Minnesota laws make any sort of wager or bet illegal. It is best if the gambler finds out all the laws associated with sports gambling within his state or area before placing bets on a sporting event. Most states declare sports betting as illegal in the US except for Nevada, Montana and one or two additional states.
