Gambling History

When does gambling step over the line from entertainment to addiction? Gambling has moved from a sin and a vice to a past time and form of recreation. How does a family know when the entertainment has moved from a hobby to a compulsion or addiction? This audiobook will explore the history and trends of gambling addiction.

Thoroughbred racing was one of the first major sports in early America. Horse racing thrived because it was a high-status sport that attracted the interest of both old and new money. It grew because spectators enjoyed the pageantry, the exciting races, and, most of all, the gambling. In The Sport of Kings and the Kings of Crime, author Steven Riess fills a long-neglected gap in sports history, offering a richly detailed and fascinating chronicle of thoroughbred racing's heyday.

Nothing had worked. Not threats or negotiations, not shutting down the betting parlors or opium dens, not throwing Chinese offenders into prison. Not even executing them. The New York DA was running out of ideas, and more people were dying every day as the weapons of choice evolved from hatchets to automatic weapons and even bombs. Welcome to New York City's Chinatown in 1925.

Even in the midst of the Great Depression, gamblers flocked to Gardena. Colorful individuals like Ernie Primm fought for the legalization of commercial draw poker and established six iconic card clubs that thrived for generations. Author Max Votolato reveals the high-stakes stories behind Gardena's famous poker rooms.

Is examining the recent rise of wagering betting gambling in America. What changed to make it legal and the history of underground gambling operations through history.

Over half of the population gambles in the UK every year. How did we get here? What keeps us hooked when the odds are so heavily stacked against us? And who are the real winners and losers? Jackpot dives deep into gambling's seedy underbelly to answer these questions, and many more. From the first National Lottery draw in 1569 to the Wild West of today's online casinos, Guardian reporter Rob Davies follows the money to show who profits—and at what cost.

Australians will gamble on anything, from two flies crawling up a wall to less important things like federal elections. Thanks to the internet, mobile phones and gambling-tax loving federal and state governments, Australians can indulge their love of a punt no matter what they're doing. Aussies can be at the birth of a child, performing open heart surgery or handling heavy machinery and still put a bet on.

After the 2008 financial crisis, investment banks and other professional investors had the edge when it came to bailouts and stock trading. The crisis also ushered in a wave of new small-scale retail investors who were hell-bent on crushing the big guys by using social media channels to connect, share ideas, promote stocks, and reap the rewards—Robin Hood-style. But did the meme short squeeze stand a chance in a rigged playing field? This concise, definitive account of a daring Wall Street heist exposes a fight to the death against a fraudulent system.

How did a son of a mailman, born in 1950 and raised in the government-subsidized housing projects of Brooklyn, go from playing poker and counting cards in Las Vegas to being a key figure in the small cap stock market in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s? Listen to this amazing story of Harvey Cohen's rise, from humble beginnings to the heights of Las Vegas gambling casinos and thrilling back-room deals on Wall Street. Amazing but true!

Macau is known as the Las Vegas of China. It attracts many tourists every year, and it has a unique set of laws and history behind it. How did it become this way? Well, one of the reasons is that it used to be part of the Portuguese Empire. We have probably all heard about the British in China, the Opium Wars, and the tea export, but you might not have heard about the Portuguese settlers who went there. Macau still shows signs of Portuguese influence, even when you go there to visit. So, let’s take a look at what happened and how the area evolved into what it is today.