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Two
marvelous history books of great value have arrived at Gambler�s
Book Shop (Gambler�s Book Club) in recent days. They are Betting
the Line (Sports Wagering in American Life) by Richard Davies
and Richard Abram (212 pages, paperbound, $24.95) and A Liberal
Conscience by Ralph Denton (393 pages, paperbound, $19.95).
Each of course has a separate audience, but each is a solid package
of information for those interested in the two key areas covered�sports
betting and Nevada history.
Betting the
Line is a history of sports betting, from its earliest days
to the present, packed with references to dozens of books already
in print; interviews with experts; articles; and some studies.
The book is
indexed, has an extensive bibliography and is an easy-flowing, non-technical
read that should answerS many questions from how the line originated
to who sets the line today. The book contains a dozen major sections.
They cover how gambling and betting on sports events began and evolved
in the nation�s earliest days (18th Century); what made it such
a popular pastime; how attempts to fix games (some successful such
as the 1919 Black Sox scandal) almost finished off baseball as the
great national sport; the contribution and impact thoroughbred racing
of Moses Annenberg and his �wire empire;� how bookmakers and bootlegging
operated between wars (1919 to 1939); the interesting growth of
college basketball�s popularity; and the birth of the modern pointspread,
the brainchild of Charles McNeil.
Davies and Abram
(both teach at the University of Nevada in Reno) examine the college
basketball fixes and scandals of the 1950s; review the role of the
Kefauver investigations into the role of bookies and organized crime;
discuss the role of �Shoebox� Sidney Brodson before the Kefauver
Committee in the 50s as unveiling the �world of the modern bookie,�
and how the earliest days of the National Football League may have
been linked to gamblers and sports betting.
The authors
move to tracing the growth of legal sports betting into the State
of Nevada and how it gained even more popularity after the 10 percent
federal tax was reduced six years later to two percent (1974), and
how �sports gamblers found a natural environment in which to pursue
their craft.�
Those fascinated
with the contributions of Jimmy (The Greek) Snyder and Michael (Roxy)
Roxborough will find a specific chapter on these innovators interesting
and the authors do a nice job of reviewing the hectic happenings
of the late 1980s to the present when it comes to looking at the
beginnings and ever-expanding �digital age� of sports betting, including
the impact of the Internet and offshore operations. The book also
contains excellent �food for thought� on why sports betting is so
popular and what the options are for those who want to further legalize
and expand it and the law enforcement agencies who want to shut
it down.
This is truly
a reference source for everyone�bettors; bet-takers; the legal profession;
potential �expert witnesses� and those with an intellectual curiosity
about what all the fuss is about. The authors have tapped a tremendous
number of resources to compile a timely guide for every library.
I wish the book were illustrated though�so many big names, controversial
figures are mentioned. It would have added a little extra to the
work. But no matter, this book�s arrival is quite timely and has
great value.
Ralph Denton
is one of Nevada�s most respected lawyers. If the name is familiar,
his daughter Sally is co-author with Roger Morris of a recent history
of Las Vegas titled The Money and the Power (she previously
wrote the Bluegrass Conspiracy).
Some might call
Ralph Denton �a whiz at helping others� get elected to governor
(Grant Sawyer) and president (John Kennedy). He has practiced law
successfully since 1954.
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