Sports betting is often viewed as a side story in American sports history, but author David Bockino argues it may be the main story. In this conversation, he discusses his book Over Under: A History of Sports Betting in America and explains how gambling helped transform local games into national obsessions.
Bockino shares fascinating stories about colorful characters including Jimmy Widmeyer, who profited from insider knowledge of the 1919 Black Sox scandal, and Salvatore "Tarto" Salazzo, whose failed efforts to fix college basketball games became part of sports gambling lore. He also traces the invention of the point spread, explores the NFL's complicated relationship with betting, and examines why leagues that publicly opposed gambling often benefited from it behind the scenes.
The discussion also looks at modern sports betting, including the rise of mobile wagering, prop bets, integrity concerns, and how technology has made gambling more visible than ever. Along the way, Bockino makes the case that betting has been woven into the fabric of American sports from the very beginning.
