This book is a sweeping overview of bookmaking in the United States, from the first thoroughbred meet at Saratoga in 1863 through the modern day. The cultural war between bookmakers
and their adversaries is a recurrent thread, and the decline of horse racing—and concurrent rise of team sports—is examined at length. The author makes stops in Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlantic
City, and the borderless global village called Cyberspace to examine gambling across the United States. In addition, the author digs into the betting world of Basseterre, a small city on a
Caribbean island with a group of bet-takers and bet-makers who have pumped millions of dollars into the pari-mutuel pools that are the lifeblood of thoroughbred racing.
