Although sports betting is believed to be very old, the first record of its existence dates back to more 2,000 years ago. History has it that the Greeks, who are well known for their love for sports, used to bet on various athletic competitions.
And if you were to brush up on your religious history, you might remember that a little over two thousand years ago, roman soldiers cast lots for Jesus' garments. It was not exactly sports betting but it does show that gambling is not exactly a new-age phenomenon.
In fact, Romans borrowed the habit front the Greeks, and they eventually grew it further by making it more commercial and even giving it a legal status. In particular, Romans bet on the gladiator games, and even when this ancient sporting event eventually came to a stop, gambling survived and continued to thrive and even spread to other kingdoms.
During the medieval times, some leaders took issue with the practice, and tried to make laws forbidding it. But this only made sports betting an underground industry, where it persisted and even underwent some of its next major evolutionary steps as new sporting events were introduced to the world.
Eventually, gambling became quite popular in England, where people placed bets on horse races. The English spread the practice to the rest of the world, particularly the US, where it quickly became a favorite pastime for many people. Again, legal issues plagued the sport, which is why only a few US states currently allow sports betting.
But generally speaking, the rest of the world has been very welcoming to gambling, which is why it has become so popular today. Europe, however, deserves a special mention for being the biggest sports betting market, which has something to do a long tradition of sports betting in the region.
An expansion in the number of sports events that people can wager on has also helped improve the popularity of sports betting. Some of the sports you see today were not in existence more than a few centuries ago. This is why at any point in time, you typically have a chance to bet on thousands of sporting events.
At the moment, sports betting is not just a fun activity, it is also a major business. Both sportsbooks and their players are now able to reap unbelievable cash rewards from sports betting.
0 comments:
Post a Comment