{"product_id":"over-under-an-unexpected-history-of-sports-betting","title":"Over\/Under: An Unexpected History of Sports Betting","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"In a matter of years, sports betting escaped the shadows and hit the mainstream. \n\u003ci\u003eOver\/Under\u003c\/i\u003e doesn't just chronical this game-changing shift in American culture, but it also introduces new characters and reveals untold stories that led to the creation of what many experts believe will ultimately become the largest legal sports betting market in the world.\"-- \n\u003cb\u003eDavid Purdum, ESPN gambling writer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\" \n\u003ci\u003eOver\/Under\u003c\/i\u003e is an extensive and fascinating archive of the intertwined relationship between pro sports and gambling. Bockino has penned a thoroughly researched, stimulating, and informative book replete with colorful characters who have shaped the evolution of sports gambling over the last century. This book will make a splash with sports fans and gamblers alike.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"With \n\u003ci\u003eOver\/Under\u003c\/i\u003e, David Bockino turns the history of sports betting on its head--as he deftly illustrates, America's multi-billion-dollar sports gambling industry is not the \n\u003ci\u003eresult\u003c\/i\u003e of our national obsession with sports, but rather the \n\u003ci\u003ereason\u003c\/i\u003e for it. The names of gambling-industry pioneers like Old Smoke, Turnbull the Terrible, and the Wizard of Odds are today little known, but these men were in many ways as significant as Broadway Joe or the Yankee Clipper. In \n\u003ci\u003eOver\/Under\u003c\/i\u003e, David Bockino tells their stories and in so doing providing an invaluable understanding not just of where the big business of sports betting came from, but also where it might be headed.\"-- \n\u003cb\u003eMatthew Goodman, author of \u003ci\u003eThe City Game: Triumph, Scandal, and a Legendary Basketball Team\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\" \n\u003ci\u003eOver\/Under\u003c\/i\u003e is a compelling dive into how sports betting has shaped American sports as we know them. With colorful storytelling and keen insight, David Bockino reveals just how intrinsically sports betting is woven into the fabric of fandom. \n\u003ci\u003eOver\/Under\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the growth and power of American sports culture.\"-- \n\u003cb\u003eDavid Coletti, head of research, FanDuel Sports Network\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDavid Bockino\u003c\/b\u003e, after spending eight years working for ESPN, is now an associate professor of sport management in the School of Communications at Elon University. He's the author of \n\u003ci\u003eGame On: How Sports Media Grew Up, Sold Out, and Got Personal with Billions of Fans\u003c\/i\u003e. Emmanuel Morgan, a sports reporter at \n\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, called it \"a fascinating read for any sports lover\" while Richard Deitsch at \n\u003ci\u003eThe Athletic\u003c\/i\u003e wrote, \"Bockino has thrown himself into an examination of this ever-evolving world with passion and an engaging writing style.\" David lives in Durham, North Carolina with his wife and three children.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePraise for David Bockino's \u003ci\u003eGame On: How Sports Media Grew Up, Sold Out, and Got Personal with Billions of Fans\u003c\/i\u003e: \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"This book is highly readable, and Bockino does an admirable job elucidating an ever-evolving subject.\"-- \" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Containing an ample number of facts and quotes, \n\u003ci\u003eGame On \u003c\/i\u003eis entertainingly written, comprehensive, and insightful. Bockino speaks with authority on shifts in culture, technical and tactical innovations in sports media, and key sporting events and personalities. Readers interested in sport media, or more generally sports and culture, will find \n\u003ci\u003eGame On\u003c\/i\u003e worth checking out.\"-- \" \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSports Literature Association\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Where sports media is heading--and where it's been--is a vexing and complex question that impacts every sports fan. Those charged with broadcasting and chronicling the games we love are part of a multibillion-dollar business--and David Bockino has thrown himself into an examination of this ever-evolving world with passion and an engaging writing style. . . . \n\u003ci\u003eGame\u003c\/i\u003e On will help educate you as a sports consumer.\"-- \n\u003cb\u003eRichard Deitsch, writer for The Athletic and host of \u003ci\u003eThe Sports Media Podcast\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Since 2018, sports betting in the U.S. has gone from a maligned hobby to a booming business. After digging into decades of data, and following fans, speculators and grifters across the country, Bockino makes the case that gambling isn't just entangled with the history of American sports culture--it's practically responsible for it.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"If ever a book came along at exactly the right time, \n\u003ci\u003eOver\/Under\u003c\/i\u003e is it. The world of sports gambling is shifting and shaking under our feet, and David Bockino is here to explain how it got that way and what may happen next. This lucid and deeply researched account takes us from the grimy backrooms of the bad old days to today's gaming-industrial complex. It's an exciting--and alarming--story full of colorful characters and crazy tales. Bet on it.\"-- \n\u003cb\u003eDoug J. Swanson, author of \u003ci\u003eBlood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A tour of the legal and moral dilemmas of American sports gambling. Bockino's history is filled with lively anecdotes.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNamed one of the most anticipated nonfiction books of 2026 by \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe definitive, colorful history of American sports betting that challenges the dialogue around one of our country's fastest growing (and most controversial) industries.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTaking readers on a rollicking journey through the history of American sports betting, \n\u003ci\u003eOver\/Under\u003c\/i\u003e proposes a fascinating and unexpected theory: What if sports betting isn't just a result of the multibillion-dollar American sports industry, but rather the primary reason for it? An essential catalyst for nearly two hundred years of sports fandom and obsession? \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe narrative starts in mid-nineteenth-century New York City, as a new sport called baseball lures bettors out of shadowy gambling halls and into the fresh air. The story then heads to Churchill Downs and Augusta National Golf Club where sports betting dresses up in fancy outfits, to Chicago and Minneapolis where sports betting meets the Mafia and gets some structure, and to Las Vegas and the Caribbean where sports betting makes some people very rich. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAlong the way, the story rolls out a cast of colorful characters: hustlers, wise guys, moguls, opportunists, grifters, touts. A parade of personalities, year after year, all trying to make a quick buck. Because isn't that the whole point? \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWritten for those eager to explore the history of a recently-legalized industry--one that's been described both as a financial bonanza and an impending disaster-- \n\u003ci\u003eOver\/Under\u003c\/i\u003e is poised to become the definitive history of a controversial industry in the midst of incredible, yet uncertain, growth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/01\/2026 (EAN 9798897101139, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/01\/2026 (EAN 9798897101139, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003eBockino, David\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDavid Bockino\u003c\/b\u003e, after spending eight years working for ESPN, is now an associate professor of sport management in the School of Communications at Elon University. He's the author of \n\u003ci\u003eGame On: How Sports Media Grew Up, Sold Out, and Got Personal with Billions of Fans\u003c\/i\u003e. Emmanuel Morgan, a sports reporter at \n\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, called it \"a fascinating read for any sports lover\" while Richard Deitsch at \n\u003ci\u003eThe Athletic\u003c\/i\u003e wrote, \"Bockino has thrown himself into an examination of this ever-evolving world with passion and an engaging writing style.\" David lives in Durham, North Carolina with his wife and three children.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Pegasus Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496142209302,"sku":"9798897101139","price":35.94,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9798897101139.jpg?v=1783053882","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/over-under-an-unexpected-history-of-sports-betting","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}