| Gambling today is all around us. From the local lottery | | | | pervasive, and laws were much more difficult to |
| to football pools at work, gambling has become as | | | | enforce. In the 1890s scandals in the Louisiana lottery |
| much a part of our lives as shopping or eating with the | | | | resulted in new anti-lottery laws. |
| family. But for millions of teens it may develop into so | | | | Legislation banning lotteries in many states soon |
| much more than the occasional bet with friends. It can | | | | followed, some were even written into the State |
| become an obsession, a way of life. The problem of | | | | Constitution. |
| gambling compulsively is a crippling illness that can | | | | The second wave of legal gambling was short-lived. |
| destroy families, friends, jobs, and lives. | | | | Scandals and the rise of Victorian morality led to the |
| Many history books specializing in the study of the | | | | end of legal gambling. Virtually all forms of gambling |
| legal aspects of gambling, argue that gambling in the | | | | were prohibited in the United States by 1910. There |
| United States has gone through three historical phases. | | | | was legal betting in only 3 states, which allowed horse |
| Gambling thrived during the colonial and post | | | | racing, but even that number shrank in years following. |
| revolutionary periods. Governments supported and | | | | The thoughts about gambling ran so strong that |
| encouraged lotteries. Lotteries however were not the | | | | Arizona and New Mexico were required to outlaw |
| only type of gambling during this time. Wagering on | | | | casinos to gain statehood. The prohibition however did |
| horse racing was another popular form of gambling. | | | | not stop gambling. There were many types of illegal |
| Racing though was not quite as organized or as | | | | gambling houses. Some operated openly for many |
| complex as modern day horse racing. Instead the | | | | years, but had to pay protection money to the law |
| gambling was only between a few owners of horses | | | | enforcement authorities for this privilege. The third and |
| and their partisans. The first racetrack in the United | | | | present phase began during the great depression of |
| States was built in Long Island, New York in 1665. | | | | the 1930's. The great depression led to a much greater |
| With the end of Jacksonian morality, came the end of | | | | legalization of gambling. The antigambling mood |
| the first phase, gambling scandals and outright fraud | | | | changed as major financial problems gripped the |
| caused the ban of lotteries and gambling. By 1862, all | | | | country, especially after the stock market crash of |
| states expect Kentucky and Missouri outlawed | | | | 1929. |
| lotteries. The second phase began after the civil war. | | | | This societal problem, like teenage smoking, drinking |
| Southern states that were desperate for revenue | | | | and drug abuse, is yet one more area we will need to |
| turned to lotteries. New laws were enacted legalizing | | | | give attention to. |
| gambling houses so that states could collect taxes on | | | | Interested in this subject? |
| them. As gambling moved west it became more | | | | |