People have been arguing with each other since they lived in caves. There was no money in those days, and the bet was on material things – weapons, household utensils, cattle, and later, in the slave trade, and slaves. The first sporting events began in antiquity. The first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece took place in 776 BC. People then most often bet on the outcome of gladiatorial battles, races, and chariot races. Archaeologists have found fragments of manuscripts that indicate that around the fifth century BC and the first prototype of the tote appeared. There was also a set of rules for taking bets.
In ancient Rome, gladiator fights were common, and spectators in the arenas argued for the victory of their favourite. In the harsh Roman law there was a law called Lex aleatoria (from alea – dice), considered the first law on betting. Even then, in the third century BC, gambling was banned, but sports betting was allowed.
Later European monarchs issued decrees attesting to the development of gambling and gambling. King Louis I of France issued an edict in 1254 forbidding gambling on the territory of the country on pain of whipping. In 1710, Queen Anne of England declared debts at «a matter of honour» without legal consequences.
FIRST BOOKIES
The evolution of betting and gambling was on its way, and its natural stage was the emergence of bookmaking. Richard Tattersaul first began taking bets in 1766 and William Ogden in 1790. The odds were set between the bet and the win of each horse: thus the first odds appeared. For a long time, betting was developed on the racetracks: racing was then the most popular entertainment on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Similar organizations soon appeared in France, the United States and other countries.
The activities of bookmakers in those years were not regulated by law. As a result, their clients had to rely on the honesty and decency of the bidders. In 1850, Leviathan Davis and Fred Swindell opened the first betting shop in London. Its founders made sports forecasts and distributed leaflets with chances of winning.
Joseph Oller is considered to be the owner of the first betting pool. In 1865, he opened a central cashier in Paris to accept mortgages from players. This enterprise was a great success and led to the opening of a number of other similar funds. At the end of the 19th century, laws governing betting were passed in France, Great Britain, and other countries.
FROM RACECOURSES TO ONLINE BETTING
In 1923, Littlewoods was established in Liverpool, California, and began taking bets by mail. Treble Chance was the best-known game where players could make 10, 11, or 12 forecasts for football matches over the coming weekend. Littlewoods was one of the world’s largest private companies until online betting gained momentum.
William Hill was founded in London in 1934 as the world’s most popular betting company. Until the mid-20th century, bookmaking remained semi-legal, and the bettors were deprived of legal protection.
The key year for betting was 1961, when betting was officially legalized in the UK on May 1. By the end of that year alone, over ten thousand betting houses had opened in this country. Betting has rapidly gained popularity worldwide. Bookmakers began to take bets on almost all sports, as well as on unsporting events.
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