In the course of less than a year, the world of sports betting in the USA has changed exponentially. Where once, betting on sports on websites like Caesars Casino and sports was illegal, now across the USA, more and more states are allowing people to wager on their favorite teams. Today, we’re looking at sports betting then and now, to see just how far things have come…
Then:
Before last May, sports betting was outlawed across the USA as a result of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992, a federal act which saw sports betting outlawed for almost two decades. This law was introduced in a bid to preserve the integrity of the sport. Nevada was an exception to that rule, as sports betting laws were already in place. Additionally, sports betting was possible in Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon, where they had pre-existing sports betting frameworks and sports lotteries already in place. Despite the ban, it is estimated that around $150 billion was spent in illegal wagers on the Black Market every year in the United States on both professional and amateur sports betting. That’s more than the GDP of Nebraska! Back then, if you wanted to place a legal wager on the Super Bowl or March Madness, you’d have to hop on a flight to Las Vegas…or risk the consequences of placing a bet with an illegal bookie.
Gaming has come a long way and we are not just talking about how well titles have improved over the past decades. As an industry and as a hobby, gaming is now more accepted than ever before and this entertainment media goes beyond kids spending dimes in an arcade. It has become so popular, that competitive gaming itself has become a profession already.
Electronic sports or better known as Esports is a form of competitive gaming. Most commonly, these tournaments or competitions are organized by esteemed bodies who are willing to put up millions in the prize pool to entice the best of the best to come out and play. Esports in and of itself has come a long way already and it’s always a joy looking at its glorious climb to fame.
The Rise Of Competitive Gaming
The common misconception is that Esports has only been around in the past decades or so. However, the truth is that it has been around since the early 70s. The first officially recorded video game competition was held at Stanford University on Oct. 19, 1972. The tournament called for the best Spacewar players in the university. It was simpler times then as the top prize was a year’s subscription to Rolling Stone magazine.
