Sports betting is now very popular all over the world. The practice of betting money on a sports competition and taking winnings based on the result has literally won over the bettors. But today, we will look back to the past to understand where sports betting comes from. There are myths that are true about this. It is said to have started in pits where gladiators and wild animals were fighting to the death! Well yes, even today you still have fun raising or lowering your thumb in the manner of the Roman Emperors. Except that from now on, it’s just a click of the mouse.
Sports betting, an ancestral practice
It seems that sports betting has been existing for thousands of years. Of course, they certainly haven’t always been in the form we know them today, but it is obvious that men, as far back as we can go in time, have always had intense physical activity, especially sports. Already during the circus games, there were those who moved around in the middle of the arena and those who just watched. You, who are just a simple spectator, are there to predict.
More seriously, the first traces and vestiges of betting on sport date back to antiquity. At that time, people had already invented the concept of sports meetings. Mass events were already organised around sport and it is to our fellow Greeks that we owe the existence of the Olympic Games. Archaeologists have unearthed writings and drawings then buried underground; they reveal the financial side of certain confrontations: the bets were born. It remains to be seen what our ancestors bet in return…
Sports betting conquered the world
Over time, this practice will become more democratic throughout Europe. It will start with the Romans, who quickly became fervent sports bettors. It is also known that other gambling was already practised at the time, so our ancestors had a certain taste for gambling! It wasn’t until the 19th century that the sports betting world changed. And this was to come from horse riding and racing at racecourses, which were very popular, especially in the United Kingdom and France. While betting in racecourses is very much appreciated, it is nevertheless criticised (cheating). To solve this, a Frenchman, Mr. Oller, has created a new betting method: to collect all the bets in a pot and then redistribute this pot to the winners, taking a commission out of it of course. The man named his idea “paris mutuels urbains” (urban mutual bets), words that must mean something to you since they form the acronym PMU. Even today, mutual betting is still widely used.
The online betting revolution
Nowadays, sports betting is widespread all over the world, especially in Europe where we have the most sports events listed by bookmakers. It is in England that sports betting makes sense. Indeed, it is there that the biggest bookmakers are established. From now on, in addition to the betting houses that still exist in the United Kingdom, the strong point of bookmakers is that they have been online for just under 15 years. Indeed, it is possible to bet on a whole host of matches via a wide selection of odds and disciplines on their websites. Bookmakers also offer bonuses to players to make their experience even more enjoyable. From now on, you no longer need to go to the arena to win at sports betting!
Used source for information:
- Bookmakers in the UK – see the website here
- Money spent on gambling in the UK – see the article here
- Value of horse race bet in the UK – see the article here
