Horse racing has been a popular pastime for the last 200 years, so much so that some of the world’s most famous races are visited by the British Royal family. The racing world has also led to the creation of horse racing betting, which is almost as beloved a pastime for millions around the world. Just like the racing itself, the betting industry is almost two centuries old, and has a long and interesting history.
Betting Origins
Historians have unearthed a lot of evidence over the years pointing to the fact that humans have been betting on racing for countless centuries, even in the most ancient of civilizations. In fact, some of it is so old that we can’t really compare it to the https://sportbettingus.org/horse/ racing betting that we have in modern times, which is what we will be focusing on. Instead, we will turn our attention to 1800s Britain, during the Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution
The Revolution brought about a new class of elite that were wealthier than any class before them; businessmen were more and more common, and had access to ever growing coffers of cash. With all this extra income at their disposal, many of the businessmen at the time indulged in a number of different vices and pastimes. It was also a time where we began to rely less on horses and more on machines for our agriculture, meaning that we were seeing more and more horses becoming the subject of breeding for racing purposes.
Over time, as the races became more popular around the United Kingdom, a group of businessmen and other wealthy people began to put money down on which horses would win their races, and thus an entirely new type of betting was created.
How It Grew
For the next two centuries, horse racing betting would slowly evolve into an entirely different entity. Once it was only for the rich and wealthy, who were the only ones around with both the time and money to indulge in their favourite pastimes. But as we entered a new, modern age, where money was more evenly distributed to the people, more and more we were able to enjoy the same leisure activities as the rich, and it didn’t take long for horse racing betting to become a favourite.
Today’s Betting
In the 1980s we saw a rise in computer usage, and it would be another 20 years before we were able to start using the internet for betting. Today, it’s possible to head out to the local track to put a wager down on your favourite horse, but it’s becoming much more frequent for bettors to instead turn to their computers and mobile devices for their betting needs. Modern bookies offer their services through the power of the internet, and anyone anywhere in the world with an internet connection is able to bet and watch the races in real time – a far cry from the earliest days of betting.