Now Place Your Bets: The History of Sports Betting in America

ÖZET

This groundbreaking film details the dramatic rise of legal sports betting in Las Vegas and its growth into a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. Through in-depth interviews, personal accounts, footage and photographs, we will highlight the key events and milestones that shaped the sports betting industry into what it is today. This history also dovetails with the changing fortunes of Las Vegas as a gambling town and entertainment destination, at turns overseen by elements of organized crime, corporate interests, and the U.S. government. Featured prominently in the film are the pioneer oddsmakers, casino operators, bookmakers, professional gamblers, journalists and historians who witnessed these events. Today, betting on sports is a popular pastime and life style choice for many Americans. Its appeal incorporates the innate drive for competition and the rewards of winning. These are the major themes the film explores as it depicts the ways in which the urge to keep score with money is an ingrained American trait.