Read more
Informationen zum Autor Arne K. Lang is a freelance writer specializing in boxing and sports gambling. He also holds an MA in sociology and taught at UNLV and Tuskegee Institute. Lang has written for many weekly papers, leading boxing magazines, and for Stardust Sports Registry, a publication he created while affiliated with the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas. He is the author of Sports Betting 101: Making Sense of the Bookie Business and the Business of Beating the Bookie (1992), Prizefighting: An American History (2008), and The Nelson-Wolgast Fight and the San Francisco Boxing Scene, 1900-1914 (2012). Klappentext Horse racing in America dates back to the colonial era when street races were a common occurrence. The commercialization of horse racing produced a sport that would briefly surpass all others in popularity, with annual races such as the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes growing to rank among America's most celebrated sporting events. From the very onset, horse racing and gambling were intertwined. As the popularity of racing and betting grew, so, too, did the controversies and corruption. Yet, despite the best efforts of social reformers, bookmakers stubbornly plied their trade, adapting and evolving as horse racing gave way to team sports as the backbone of their business.In Sports Betting and Bookmaking: An American History, Arne K. Lang provides a sweeping overview of legal and illegal sports and race betting in the United States, from the first thoroughbred meet at Saratoga in 1863 through the modern day. The cultural war between bookmakers and their adversaries is a recurring theme, as bookmakers were often forced into the shadows during times of social reform, only to bloom anew when the time was ripe. While much of bookmaking's history takes place in New York, other locales such as Chicago, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City-not to mention Cyberspace-are also discussed in this volume. A comprehensive exploration of the evolution of bookmaking-including the legal developments and technological advancements that have taken place over the years-Sports Betting and Bookmaking is a fascinating read. This informative and engaging book will be of interest to anyone wanting to learn more about America's long history with gambling on horse racing and team sports. Zusammenfassung This book provides a sweeping overview of sports and race betting in the United States! from the first thoroughbred meet at Saratoga in 1863 through the modern day. It is also the first comprehensive exploration of the evolution of bookmaking! including the legal developments and technological advancements that have taken place over the years. Inhaltsverzeichnis AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1: Leonard Jerome: The Towering Pillar of the Horsey SetChapter 2: Saratoga and Jerome Park: The FountainheadsChapter 3: Pool Sellers, Bookmakers, and Pari-MutuelsChapter 4: Off-Track Betting: The Poolroom SceneChapter 5: New York's Racetrack-Building BoomChapter 6: Bookmakers and Their Modus OperandiChapter 7: Tipsters and ToutsChapter 8: Big Plungers and OutlawsChapter 9: The Reformers Crank Up the HeatChapter 10: Racetracks in the CrosshairsChapter 11: New York Racing: Feast and FamineChapter 12: The Good-Bye YearsChapter 13: ReanimationChapter 14: A Verdant DepressionChapter 15: A Side Trip to the Windy CityChapter 16: Mid-Century Reformers: La Guardia, Kefauver, and KennedyChapter 17: The Tax Man ComethChapter 18: Multiple-Horse Wagering Takes FlightChapter 19: Pro Football Corrodes the Racing GameChapter 20: New York Welcomes OTBChapter 21: A Side Trip to Old NevadaChapter 22: SimulcastingChapter 23: Lotteries, Casinos, and RacinosChapter 24: Offshore and OnlineChapter 25: WhalesChapter 26: Pushing the EnvelopeGlossaryNotesBibliographyIndexAbout the Author...
