Everything in the world had a beginning at some point. We, humans, started somewhere, as well as the mountains, and even our very planet. Activities that we created also had a point of origin, often at multiple locations and at various times throughout history. For example, football did not start in a single place but was played in some ways by many peoples over a spread of two millennia.
Sports betting and betting, in general, has its own history. Some of it is hard to pinpoint, while on the other hand, today, it is evident that it evolved to the point of having online bookmakers with their own promo codes, like this Betfair Promo Code.
Here is a quick overview of the betting history and its supposed origins.
The Earliest Days of Betting – A Long Time Ago
During the ancient Greek period, particularly when the original and ancient Olympic Games were played, betting was a very normal thing. It was a public activity where there were prizes and wins. Social interaction was a normal part and betting was pretty widespread at the time. Betting was also present at other places, such as ancient China, as well as other places. Sports and similar activities attracted bettors and even small events were organized, similar to today’s bingos and lotteries, some of them involving sports.
Betting was present throughout history, particularly with sports such as horse racing. Horse racing always had a very avid betting following, due to the very nature of the sport. But, sports betting and betting in general, evolved during the many centuries from the time of ancient Greece to today.
Modern Sports Betting – Modern in a Loose Sense
Modern sports betting, similar to what we know today, had its origins during the 15th and 16th century, in England, of course. Horse racing and sports betting go hand in hand. It was at the time that horse racing owners had private races and they were able to place bets on the matches.
In the 19th century England, things started developing and bookmakers became mediators between the customer and the outcome, with arbitrators sitting above everyone, deciding in the end if things get dicey. From there on, sports betting started spreading all over the world.
The Spread of Sports Betting – Wars and Conquering
The First World War played a part in helping spread sports betting to other parts of the world. Horse racing was the only sport people used to bet on at first, but after WWI, it spread to other countries and more importantly, other sports as well.
From the 1920s and onwards, sports like football and baseball, popular sports in the western world, were all sports one could bet on.
The world evolved and after WWII, sports betting spread even more, and other sports like basketball, volleyball, water polo and more, were available to people, now all over the world.
Sports betting evolved from a social interaction type of event to an activity that fuels an entire industry and provides plenty of people with entertainment, drama (and addiction). Today, it is both digital and brick and mortar.