The English obsession with betting has been a well-known fact for centuries. Betting and gambling, in general, have been an integral part of English society since time immemorial and there are no signs indicating that the passion will subside any time soon. Some studies claim that over 40% of the entire population is either betting or gambling in one form or another. The industry generates over £14 billion in revenue in 2018 alone. The advent of online gambling in recent decades has only made betting more popular and easily accessible. These days, even people who wouldn’t dream of entering a casino or bookies will merrily play a round of online slot or place a bet on their favorite football club occasionally. But why is betting so deeply rooted in English culture?
The Early History
Historians say that gambling has been a part of human civilization from its earliest days. Every culture in our history enjoyed gambling in some form, from ancient Greeks and Chinese to Mayans and African tribes. The first gambling laws in England were introduced by King Richard I in 1190. The reason for this was that gambling became so popular among the nobility that several of them managed to lose even their lands, given to them by the king. To put a stop to this, Richard limited the amounted a nobleman can gamble on 20 shillings per day. That didn’t prevent commoners from gambling in secret, though, and they continued with the practice. Despite the limitations, gambling grew so popular that King Henry VIII deemed it detrimental for the realm’s war readiness, as yeomen regularly sold their famous longbows to finance their gambling habits. To put a stop to this and preserve the most lethal part of his army, Henry banned all forms of gambling in 1509.
Elizabethan Age
Henry was succeeded on the throne of England by his daughter, Queen Elisabeth I. It didn’t take long for her to overturn his ban. In fact, she went one step further. In 1569, the Parliament, at her suggestion, passed the Gaming Act, which codified gambling and allowed the state to organize lotteries. Elisabeth organized the fort lottery in the same year, trying to raise money for port constructions across the country. The Anglo-Spanish War was in full swing and the Queen needed the money to strengthen the Royal Navy, so it could stand against the Spanish Armada. The lottery wasn’t very successful, but nevertheless, Francis Drake and Lord Howard managed to prevent the Spanish from landing troops on English soil. Lotteries remained one of the government’s favorite ways of raising money for projects Parliament didn’t approve. King James I, for instance, organized one to finance the foundation of Jamestown, the first English settlement in Virginia. Queen Anne’s lotteries from 1710 to 1714 were especially successful. They were also essential in raising funds to finance wars against Napoleon Bonaparte. The last lottery was organized in 1826.
Horse Racing Betting
Ever since the Tudors, horse racing was popular in England, but it wasn’t until King Charles that it became a national sport. Charles was an avid rider and is largely responsible for Newmarket becoming the center of horse racing in England. Naturally, betting was present during the races. In fact, it is believed that Charles was responsible for several horse-racing gambling superstitions still alive today. Betting on horse racing really came into its own with the invention of the railroad. Suddenly, races weren’t reserved just for people living nearby race tracks. Visitors from all over the country flocked to watch them, bringing their money with them. While commoners bet on horses as well, it was mostly considered a rich men’s game, since they were in the know. Most commoners preferred other sports, like football.
Football Betting
The first occurrence of football betting happened in 1923 when bookmakers Littlewoods offered to take bets outside Old Trafford. This was the age when many of the current big names in bookmaking, like William Hill and Coral, got their start. The real boom happened after Parliament passed the 1960 Gambling Act, regulating the industry. The betting shops started springing in every corner of the country, although the politicians tried to keep them as dark as possible. That is one of the reasons why football betting was considered shady all through the 1960s and 1970s. In 1986, a new law was passed, that relaxed the regulations, and bookies started coming on their own. Still, the only matches punter could bet on were televised ones, to prevent corruption and match fixing. In 1992, Sky Sports bought the TV rights for the Premier League and started broadcasting several games simultaneously each weekend. This increased the offer dramatically and the popularity of football betting soared. Today, football is the most popular sport for punters worldwide.
Online Betting
The 1990s saw the birth of the first online gambling platforms and bookies quickly realized the potential of the Internet. They followed suit and started creating their own websites. The 2005 Gambling Act removed the gambling tax, which was paid by the punters, and instead taxed the operators based on their gross income. The law also removed the minimum trebles rule, so punters were free to bet on any single match. You could now bet on a match in the New Zealand rugby league from the comfort of your home in Shropshire and watch it via live stream, something that older punters couldn’t even dream about. The huge variety of sports, plus the easily accessible online platforms, have allowed betting to become the fastest-growing sector of online gambling. In 2019, sports betting was worth more than $85 billion, representing almost 40% of the entire online gambling industry. Betting in the United Kingdom is under the watchful eye of the Gambling Commission, a government body tasked with keeping gambling fair and transparent and protecting children and other vulnerable groups from it.
