With casinos having expanded to most of the United States, and international markets more uncertain than certain, the next major frontier for gambling expansion seems to be sports betting. The American Gaming Association is now making major push for the broader legalization and regulation of sports betting, while professional sports leagues, the bulwark of past opposition to legal sports betting, are softening their stances. As we stand at the cusp of a historic expansion of legal sports gambling, Arne Lang's new history of sports betting and bookmaking is an essential read. This is an important book to read now because of the rising importance of sports betting to casinos. Reading Lang's brief, well-written history will give you a better appreciation for all of the dynamics in play with the fight to legalize sports betting, as well as the role of race and sports betting in American life. Lang's book succeeds at telling the story of sports betting and bookmaking's history in an accessible, readable way, and includes several hard-won nuggets of information that will come as a welcome surprise to even the best-versed historians of sports betting. Most importantly, Lang puts developments in sports betting history into the larger social, political, and cultural context of their time, demonstrating that nothing happens in a vacuum With football season just upon us, expect even more scrutiny of our national sports betting policy (or lack thereof). Having read Sports Betting and Bookmaking will give you much better insights into that debate.

and includes several hard-won nuggets of information that will come as a welcome surprise to even the best-versed historians of sports betting. Most importantly, Lang puts developments in sports betting history into the larger social, political, and cultural context of their time, demonstrating that nothing happens in a vacuum With football season just upon us, expect even more scrutiny of our national sports betting policy (or lack thereof). Having read Sports Betting and Bookmaking will give you much better insights into that debate.mation that will come as a welcome surprise to even the best-versed historians of sports betting. Most importantly, Lang puts developments in sports betting history into the larger social, political, and cultural context of their time, demonstrating that nothing happens in a vacuum With football season just upon us, expect even more scrutiny of our national sports betting policy (or lack thereof). Having read Sports Betting and Bookmaking will give you much better insights into that debate.