Vig & Juice is a podcast discussing the history and legality of gambling and sports betting in the U.S. hosted by Sports & Gaming Law attorneys at Vela Wood.
In this episode, we discuss the first sports betting in the U.S. up to the Wire Act of 1961, including horse racing, the spectator sport known as pedestrianism, and using state lotteries to fund the Revolutionary War.
Time Stamps
0:45 – Episode Recap1:30 – State Lotteries Funding Universities & Revolutionary War3:05 – Horse Racing5:09 – Pedestrianism7:11 – Games of Skill8:50 – States Outlawing, Early 1900s9:44 – Nevada Legalizing Casinos & Sports Betting10:08 – Federal Revenue Act of 1951 – Taxing Wagers10:37 – Relationship to Economic Climate11:08 – Taxing Vices, Prohibition12:10 – Morality/Immorality of Gambling13:10 – Connections to Organized Crime14:10 – Transition to Wire Act14:47 – Black Sox Scandal15:45 – Baseball CommissionersShow Notes
In The 1870s And ’80s, Being A Pedestrian Was Anything But (NPR)The Repeal of PASPAWhy Playing Fantasy Sports Is Legal (For The Most Part)Fantasy Sports Contest Legislation Tracker