The History of Parimutuel Betting

Players from all countries can PLAY!

While you gamble within the casino on most casino games, rather than poker, you're wagering against the home. Whilst you bet on a horse or dog race (also jai lai) you aren't playing against the home. Instead you're making a parimutuel wager and are in essence betting against all of the other players wagering on that event.

The entire money bet at the event goes right into a large pool. The holders of winning tickets divide the whole sum of money bet at the race (the pool), after deductions for tax and racetrack expenses. The cash take out is identical to the rake taken out by the pot in a poker game played within the card room. However unlike the small rake in poker, within the parimutuel pool this “rake” can amount to fifteen – 25 percent of the full prize pool.

Most players visiting the track or off beam betting facilities have little knowledge of the history behind parimutuel betting. For the reason that modern-day facilities use computer calculations which can be displayed on large electronic “Tote” boards players might imagine that this manner of wagering in all fairness new. The history of parimutuel betting goes back a variety of years.

The Beginning Parimutuel betting is credited to Pierre Oller a French perfume shop keeper who in 1865 had the speculation in to sell tickets on a horse race and keep the entire proceeds in a typical prize pool to be split amongst the winners. (Parimutuel means betting between ourselves) After the race was over Pierre would take a five percent handling charge after which distribute the remainder to bettors in accordance with the chances established by the bets made on each horse. Pierre arrange his wagering system within the racing parks and by 1887 parimutuel wagering became the legalized type of betting in France.

Around 40 years later in 1927 after proposals led by Sir Winston Churchill, the English Parliament passed legislation establishing parimutuel wagering because the legal betting system in any respect tracks within the country. Across the same time parimutuel wagering was adopted at race track within the United States.

Electronic Calculations Around that point a tender engineer name Henry Straus left a Maryland racetrack angry over the payoff he received during a race. He bet a horse with posted odds of 12-1 but only collected 4-1 on his winning ticket. On the time there has been much corruption at track across the country as odds were calculated by hand.

Straus at the side of some fellow engineers founded the yank Totalisator company (AmTote) and invented an electro-mechanical device which might accurately calculate the chances of a race and assure a decent payout while displaying the chances on a beer electronic board. The primary machine was installed at Pimlico race track in 1930.

Today the percentages are calculated by faster computers and the tracks may take a rather bigger percentage of the pool but parimutuel betting remains similar to it was over 100 years ago.

Until Next time remember: Luck comes and goes.....Knowledge Stays Forever.

Read More... [Source: About.com Casino Gambling: What's Hot Now]