Over/Under
An Unexpected History of Sports Betting
Will be published approx. on 16. July 2026
Book
Hardback
352 pages
979-8-89710-113-9 (ISBN)
Description
The definitive, colorful history of American sports betting that challenges the dialogue around one of our country's fastest growing (and most controversial) industries.
For close to two hundred years, sports gambling in the United States has been a discreet affair. Placing a bet meant a weekend in Vegas or being introduced to somebody's guy or giving your credit card to a shady website. Then one day in 2018, nine Americans in black robes had a discussion and took a vote. And before you knew it sports gambling was legal-and it was everywhere.
So what happens now? In Over/Under, David Bockino sets out to answer that question by borrowing a lesson from the pros. Equipped with decades of historical sports data, the world's most successful bettors use what has happened in past contests to predict what might happen.
When Bockino applies that approach to the sports gambling industry itself, he uncovers a fascinating and unexpected history: betting is not a result of the multi-billion-dollar American sports landscape, but rather is a primary reason for it. Gambling has been there from the very beginning, an essential catalyst for nearly two hundred years of sports obsession and fandom.
Over/Under takes readers on a rollicking journey through the history of American sports betting. It starts in mid-nineteenth century New York City, as a new sport lured 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 gambling dresses up in fancy outfits, to Chicago and Minneapolis where sports gambling makes people do dishonest things, and to Las Vegas and the Caribbean where sports gambling makes some people very rich.
And through it all, the narrative rolls out a cast of colorful characters: hustlers, wise guys, moguls, opportunists, grifters, speculators, touts, who are all trying to make a quick buck. Written for those eager to learn more about a recently-legalized industry-one that's been described both as a financial bonanza and an impending disaster-Over/Under is poised to become the definitive book of a controversial industry in the midst of incredible yet uncertain growth.
For close to two hundred years, sports gambling in the United States has been a discreet affair. Placing a bet meant a weekend in Vegas or being introduced to somebody's guy or giving your credit card to a shady website. Then one day in 2018, nine Americans in black robes had a discussion and took a vote. And before you knew it sports gambling was legal-and it was everywhere.
So what happens now? In Over/Under, David Bockino sets out to answer that question by borrowing a lesson from the pros. Equipped with decades of historical sports data, the world's most successful bettors use what has happened in past contests to predict what might happen.
When Bockino applies that approach to the sports gambling industry itself, he uncovers a fascinating and unexpected history: betting is not a result of the multi-billion-dollar American sports landscape, but rather is a primary reason for it. Gambling has been there from the very beginning, an essential catalyst for nearly two hundred years of sports obsession and fandom.
Over/Under takes readers on a rollicking journey through the history of American sports betting. It starts in mid-nineteenth century New York City, as a new sport lured 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 gambling dresses up in fancy outfits, to Chicago and Minneapolis where sports gambling makes people do dishonest things, and to Las Vegas and the Caribbean where sports gambling makes some people very rich.
And through it all, the narrative rolls out a cast of colorful characters: hustlers, wise guys, moguls, opportunists, grifters, speculators, touts, who are all trying to make a quick buck. Written for those eager to learn more about a recently-legalized industry-one that's been described both as a financial bonanza and an impending disaster-Over/Under is poised to become the definitive book of a controversial industry in the midst of incredible yet uncertain growth.
Reviews / Votes
Early praise for Over/Under:"If ever a book came along at exactly the right time, Over/Under 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." -- <B>Doug J. Swanson, author of <I>Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker</I></B> "With Over/Under, 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 result of our national obsession with sports, but rather the reason 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 Over/Under, 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." -- <b>Matthew Goodman, author of <i>The City Game: Triumph, Scandal, and a Legendary Basketball Team</i></b> "In a matter of years, sports betting escaped the shadows and hit the mainstream. Over/Under 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." -- <B>David Purdum, ESPN gambling writer</B> "Over/Under 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. Over/Under is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the growth and power of American sports culture." -- <B>David Coletti, head of research, FanDuel Sports Network</B> Praise for David Bockino's Game On: How Sports Media Grew Up, Sold Out, and Got Personal with Billions of Fans:
"This book is highly readable, and Bockino does an admirable job elucidating an ever-evolving subject." * <B><I>Choice</I></B> * "Containing an ample number of facts and quotes, Game On is 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 Game On worth checking out." * <I><B>Sports Literature Association</B></I> * "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. . . . Game On will help educate you as a sports consumer." -- <B>Richard Deitsch, writer for The Athletic and host of <I>The Sports Media Podcast</I></B> "An excellent, comprehensive exploration into the evolution of sports media that takes the reader to all corners of the globe, bringing to life an impressive review of sports fan content consumption from the environs of Times Square in the twentieth century to the modern social media square of the twenty-first." -- <B>Peter Leimbach, senior vice president of Fox Sports Research</B> "An introspective look at the vastly changing landscape of sports media. Game On outlines what brought the industry to where it is today and explains to the reader why important moments such as the rise of ESPN, the emergence of fantasy sports, and the proliferation of special telecasts drew fan bases and increased sports' presence in everyday society. It's a fascinating read for any sports lover." -- <B>Emmanuel Morgan, sports reporter for <I>The New York Times</I></B>
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Illustrations
8 pages of B&W illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 41 mm
Weight
499 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-89710-113-9 (9798897101139)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
David Bockino, 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 Game On: How Sports Media Grew Up, Sold Out, and Got Personal with Billions of Fans. Emmanuel Morgan, a sports reporter at The New York Times, called it "a fascinating read for any sports lover" while Richard Deitsch at The Athletic 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.