Over/under : an unexpected history of sports betting / David Bockino.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bockino, David, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sports betting--United States--History.

Sports betting.

Gambling--Social aspects.

Gambling.

Internet gambling.

Physical Description:

xvi, 319 pages ; 24 cm

Edition:

First Pegasus Books cloth edition.

Other Title:

Over under

Place of Publication:

New York : Pegasus Books, 2026.

Summary:

"Taking readers on a rollicking journey through the history of American sports betting, Over/Under proposes a fascinating and unexpected theory: What if sports betting isn't just a result of the multibillion-dollar American sports industry, but rather the primary reason for it? An essential catalyst for nearly two hundred years of sports fandom and obsession? The narrative starts in mid-nineteenth-century New York City, as a new sport called baseball lures bettors out of shadowy gambling halls and into the fresh air. The story then heads to Churchill Downs and Augusta National Golf Club where sports betting dresses up in fancy outfits, to Chicago and Minneapolis where sports betting meets the Mafia and gets some structure, and to Las Vegas and the Caribbean where sports betting makes some people very rich. Along the way, the story rolls out a cast of colorful characters: hustlers, wise guys, moguls, opportunists, grifters, touts. A parade of personalities, year after year, all trying to make a quick buck. Because isn't that the whole point? Written for those eager to explore the history of a recently-legalized industry--one that's been described both as a financial bonanza and an impending disaster-- Over/Under is poised to become the definitive history of a controversial industry in the midst of incredible, yet uncertain, growth."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Foreword

Prologue: Full circle

Part I: Crooks, colonels, and con artists. America's national pastime

Old smoke

The game

The colonel

Turnbull the Terrible

King of the newsboys

Part II: The golden age. The world's most famous arena

From Calcutta to Augusta

Dope dealers

Sportsmen

Mania

Wizard of odds

Part III: Mob mentality. A tremendous amount of information

A spectacular failure

Octopus Inc.

"An unremarkable feature of everyday life"

The wrong kind of people

Howie the horse

Part IV: The biggest game in town. Family business

The perfect point spread

Ambassadors

"What's better than money?"

Madness

A despoiler of our games

"A really stupid way to make a living"

Rose

Part V: The government and the internet. The DeConcini Act

Jackpot

Betting on the internet

Poker as sport

Carved out

Part VI: A revenue-generating business. Daily degenerates

Integrity and inspiration

An ethical quandary

The DraftKings sportsbook at Wrigley Field.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9798897101139

OCLC:

1593775869

Publisher Number:

90104679651