Horse Racing, Gambling and the Issue of Morality

In the 19th and early 20th centuries

Horse Racing, Gambling, and Morality

By: Marisa Tarallo

Why Horse Racing?

Nothing beats the feeling of hearing that bell ring as the horses are let out of their gates. Their hoofs pounding the dirt, the crowds roaring, and your heart racing as you hope for your favorite to win. From Man-O-War, Secretariat, and Justify, horse racing has been the most-watched equestrian sport in the United States, but what makes it so exciting? The answer: Gambling. The desire for money keeps the crowds returning and has been ingrained in our society, no matter how controversial it is.

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So what happened to get to where we are today?

The popularity of horse racing in the United States can be attributed to the prospect of gambling. Betting was linked to the ills of society, including the rise in criminal activity. Reformers therefore worked hard to stop horse racing in its entirety. Although they had some successes, the racing crowds, made up of the middle class, elite, and even political leaders lobbied hard for its return and won, bringing the sport back into action during the 1920s and the racing we know today.

The big debate of racing, the social and political climate, and the important cities in racings culture

Overview

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Click here to see what a race looked like in the 19th century

How was Racing Debated?

As will be shown later, both of these reasons also led to the legislation that would halt races and the closure of tracks. Gambling was not the only cause of hatred towards the sport as worries about the abuse of the animals added to the aversion

Gambling was the commodity that brought in the crowds without a doubt, but that did not stop the owners or breeders from finding other initiatives to protect its advancement. Many clung to the idea of the "welfare of the breed" to help push certain legislation, but it was easy to see how much money came from betting.

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What else was happening?

Reformers & Christianity

Urban Politics and the Underworld

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The rise of the Industrial Revolution gave way to the population boom in big cities and their expansion. This meant economic opportunities were endless.Political machines used these opportunities to their advantage and professional sports were one of them. Politician's ties to racetracks, boxing, or baseball meant they had a great influence over the legislation that affected them.Syndicates, illegal and legal, also had strong ties to politics which benefitted them greatly. To keep their business going, it was not unheard of to bribe politicians or the police. Criminal institutions also had a massive impact on the gambling industry.

The use of morality for social/political change has always been utilized in the history of the US. The Puritans saw it as of utmost importance in their daily life and it guided the founding fathers in their push for independence The rise of Christianity during the 19th century can be attributed to the Second Great Awakening when evangelism rose dramatically in popularity. Urban centers were important for the rise, which is also where racing was most popularDuring this time, moralism also was the reason for the progressive movement as well as the temperance movement

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Click on the arrows to navigate to the timelines of racing in the cities or click on "next" to take a closer look at gambling!

The Cities That Made Racing

Chicago

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New York

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New York was undoubtedly the largest racing stronghold in the United States, with tracks such as Belmont and Saratoga bringing out large crowds filled with people from all social classes.Just like Chicago, New York's success with the racing industry is due to the fast-growing economy of the Industrial Revolution. Gambling happened across all social classes, and bookmaking became the main form of it at the tracks. Reformers also became a large part of the effort to stop the sport, but New York was the only place that was able to conquer the outcries to stop it and only had a few years of track closures.

Considered to be the western hotspot for racing, Chicago had the 2nd largest off-track illegal gambling organization.The 19th century brought Chicago many economic issues, including the Great Chicago Fire and the Panic of 1893, but the city continued to grow in wealth, which led to the creation of a more prestigious race track built for the growing middle and upper class.Even though racing and subsequently gambling were greatly fought for in the state, Republican leaders and reformers were able to halt racing for many years until the 20s when racing was no longer seen as immoral.

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Gambling and Racing

How did they collide and who were the leaders in the illegal gambling practices

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Gambling in the United States can be traced back to the British, French, and Spanish Colonists. As colonies started to be formed, the past time stayed and was used in all social classes. In a time when work was seen as crucial to the faith, many people believed that gambling led to citizens becoming lazy and would eventually lead them to find solace in other immoral activities. By the time racing started to become popular among Virginia's wealthy planters, gambling was in full swing. People gambled for different reasons. Wealthier individuals (mainly men) used it as a way to prove manliness, display their wealth, and show social status. Immigrants or lower-class citizens mainly practiced it to distract them from the hard lives they lived, especially during the long work days of the Industrial Revolution. As racing began to grow in popularity, so did gambling. Due to the cost of traveling, only wealthier fans were able to attend race tracks and place their bets there, while lower classes had to do it elsewhere. This led to the use of handbooks, which were local businesses where you could bet on races or even political races. Handbooks were less likely to be disturbed by the police due to them not being seen as "organized". Poolrooms which were places for bookmaking or other gambling activities, usually illegal, were also used for betting on horse races.Off-track gambling in poolrooms was the main focal point of the opposition to gambling. Even racing enthusiasts became against them since they were separate organizations that didn't benefit the tracks. Poolrooms were also largely run by crime syndicates who paid off politicians and the police to allow them to still run even when they became illegal. Gambling was usually not prosecuted by the law as it was seen as a "victimless crime", even though crime organizations would start using violence to get their way. Click on the next slide to see the men who ruled Chicago's and the United States underworld

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Gambling's Background & Its Involvement in Racing

Go to the next page to start learning about how reformers fought against the big syndicates

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Mont Tennes

James O'Leary

Mike McDonald

The Big 3 (Chicago)

The Fight For Reform

How morality was used, the legislation produced, and the use of media

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Go to the next slide to learn about what legislation was passed to help push reforms on the racing scene

The largest groups that were against the practice of both racing and gambling were the reformers as well as the Republican party, although Democrats in the South were most likely to be more conservative on the issue. As stated before, reformers were usually Christian and saw the idea of gambling as an ill in society that should be stopped. They also thought that racing in general gave way to certain abuses towards the horse.Reformers worked hard to get both on-the-track and off-the-track gambling shut down. They claimed that gambling would lead to other crimes, or that it was the cause of the violence in the cities. Reformers worried about the effects of gambling on the youth and women (or the "innocent"). Progressives also fought against the practice, as they sought to reform social issues. These issues resonated more with the lower class than it did in the upper classes Below are two pamphlets from the late 19th century that argued against gambling and horse racing and the reasoning of why they believed it was immoral. Click on them to find out more!

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The Problem of Morality

• Although Christianity was tied heavily to the dislike of horse racing, this pamphlet does not speak much on social morality but more on the corrupt morals of the people closely tied to racing
• The Author, Anthony Comstock conveys his anger against the police and the lawmakers: "Our efforts have been met by hostile opposition. This opposition has not come so much from gamblers whom we have endeavored to bring justice as from sworn officers of the law, whom public rumors and the press have charged with shielding and protecting these criminals and their crimes” (Pgs 1-2)
• Also gives insight into how the law could change
• Comstock also uses the innocence of the youth to justify his outrage towards the sport: “If morals are worth preserving, and unless our youth are to grow up gamblers and thieves, the schools of vice must be closed and the gambling passion must be checked” (Pg vi)

What is This Pamphlet About?

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• Themes of Christianity are seen throughout the pamphlet as it says in the title. It goes over how Christians should approach the problem of gambling and horse racing
• Bible verses are used throughout to help prove the author, A.E. Miller's points of why the sport should not be allowed to continue:
• Love not the world: if any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him'. - (1. John, 2, 15.)
• Speaks on loving money as a problem
• Uses Job, 29, 31. to convey the importance of the horse as an animal that should not be used for the pleasures of men
• Miller also calls out the elite, and their continuation in the immoral practices that happen on and off the track

What is This Pamphlet About?

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• 1877 Anti-Pool Selling Act: The election of 1876 led to a large upheaval in betting practices. When it came out that the winner would not be known right away, bookmakers returned the bets which caused clients to become upset. Lawmakers would then use this to push for anti-pool legislation, which led to the passing of the Anti-Pool Selling Act
• Ives Act of 1887: This New York bill was created to protect those interested in racing's future. This bill was considered the first bill that protected racing and interpreted it as a way to further the breed (the thoroughbred). This bill would lead to the passage of similar bills in other states such as the Gibbs Act in Chicago.
• Percy-Grey Bill: Helped privatize racing under the State Racing Commission in conjunction with the Jockey Club. Was made to help save the sport while still antagonizing gambling in New York

• Agnew-Hart/Perkins: This is the bill that would ultimately close tracks in New York, although few tracks remained open with the use of oral betting until the Directors' Liability Law was passed that would shut down the rest. It also made gambling a crime that could be prosecuted
• The Shane Decision: The decision that helped get racing back on its feet in New York. It showed that the Agnew-Perkins Act only sought to persecute bookmakers, not all gambling practices which gave a loophole to the reentering of the race crowds.

Horse racing and politics had close ties, as did many other professional sports. Gambling was seen to be the biggest problem that needed to be stopped, but the Jockey Club and others who had close ties to tracks tried to push for laws against off-track betting as they knew what kept the crowds coming. The battle between the reformers and racing crowd would last decades, and laws would be created that would continuously bring the popularity of the track up or down. Below are listed some of the laws that were enacted during this time:

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Legislation and Gambling 1870-1913

Art and Morality

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"Lights and Shadows of Horse Racing"

Not only did pamphlets exist to combat racing , but so did art and other propoganda that showcased the ills of the sport. To the right is one such piece. Click on the dots to see what the painting is trying to tell the audience

The writing

The Animals

The Darkness

Were the efforts enough?

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In most states, reformers and their political allies (mainly Republicans) were successful in their pleas. Some states were luckier than others, such as New York which only was subjected to 2 years of track closures from 1911-1912 before the Shane decision helped open them back up again, although the sport had faced demise before Agnew-Hart was being considered. Chicago on the other hand was hit worse, as the last decade of the 19th century brought on several issues, such as the panic of 1893 which led to a depression as well as social issues such as prohibition and the gambling problem. Racing would then continue for a bit before hitting rock bottom in 1905 when racing had met its end due to the reform pressures from both evangelical Christians but also progressives.Nationally, the closure of New York tracks had economic repercussions. The horse industry began to become less and less, as yearling sales dropped as well as breeding. Even in places where racing still existed, the amount won, or the "purse" was lowered greatly.Although the closure of tracks was enough to make reformers celebrate, gambling would continue to take place by using out-of-state races to fill their pockets, but handbooks were hurt in the long run.

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The Closing of tracks and Its Repercusions (1890-1920)

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Almost everywhere in the U.S., racing was halted during the early years of the 1900s. The only places where racing was able to survive included Kentucky and Maryland, but even they faced extinction. New York and Chicago, even after the sport's return, would struggle to regain the popularity seen during the 1890s. It wasn't until the 1920s that racing would again be able to bring in large crowds as places like Chicago began to legalize betting again. At this time gambling was not as taboo and didn't face as much pushback as it did in the 19th century. Other opportunities gave way to the regained popularity, such as the progressive era which helped lead to greater economic opportunities as well as more time to spend on enjoyments for lower and middle class citizens.

The reason why New York was able to avoid the long shutdowns that other states endured, was because of the passion the racing crowd had. The most influential for its survival were also the ones who owned the tracks and breeding facilities. it also was not unheard of for those close to the racing scene to be political leaders who would be useful in getting legislation passed.

Racing and Gambling survive

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Conclusion

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Racing has shared a long and complicated history in the United States. From its small beginnings, the act of racing has been vilified due to its close association with the gambling industry. The sport started as a way to show off one's social status, with even the founding fathers betting on local races. As cities grew, racing became more organized and would move from harness racing to thoroughbred racing. This would lead to the creation of clubs for the wealthy and the eventual growth of crime syndicates on and off the track.Poolrooms were at the forefront of the persecution of gambling, and many lobbied to get rid of it, including track owners and fans, as well as the reformers who saw gambling and racing as immoral and sinful. Owners of the poolrooms committed violent crimes, but gambling, in general, was not prosecuted due to political connections and police payoffs as well as it being seen as a victimless crimeEndless lobbying from reformers would eventually lead to tracks closing across the country, but some states were able to either escape this fate or only face it for a short period. Racing would again gain its popularity but not until the 1920s when moralism was not as important. Gambling, legal and illegal would also continue and crime syndicates would become more influential.

Citations

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Chicago from 1830-1920

The halting of racing 1890s-1900s

Washington Park Club formed in 1883; The Gibbs Act passed

The continuation of racing and gambling

Syndicates get more influence, but so do reformers 1890s

Becomes a city in 1837; the rise of racing

The start of thoroughbred racing and the rise of the syndicates 1863-1896

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New York from 1820-1920

The Glorious Days of racing to its downfall 1897-1910

Racing before, during, and after the Civil War's end (1840-1863)

Racing gets back on its feet: 1910s

The trial and error of racing between 1730-1820

Citations

Comstock, Anthony. Gambling Outrages; or, Improving the Breed of Horses at the Expense of Public Morals. The American News Company, 1887. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t3ws99s5g&seq=1 Miller, A.E. Horse Racing and Christian Principle and Duty. Charleston, 1837. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hxipfp&seq=1Riess, Steven A. Horse Racing the Chicago Way: Gambling, Politics, and Organized Crime, 1837-1911. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 2022.Riess, Steven A. The Sport of Kings and the Kings of Crime: Horse Racing, Politics, and Organized Crime in New York, 1865-1913. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 2011.

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