Over/Under
An Unexpected History of Sports Betting
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Over/Under
Pre-order Now for £14.79
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Narrated by:
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George Newbern
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By:
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David Bockino
About this listen
Named one of the most anticipated nonfiction books of 2026 by The New York Times Book Review
The definitive, colorful history of American sports betting that challenges the dialogue around one of our country’s fastest growing (and most controversial) industries.
Taking readers on a rollicking journey through the history of American sports betting, Over/Under 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?
The 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.
Along 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?
Written 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—Over/Under is poised to become the definitive history of a controversial industry in the midst of incredible, yet uncertain, growth.
©2026 David Bockino (P)2026 Blackstone PublishingCritic reviews
“A tour of the legal and moral dilemmas of American sports gambling. Bockino’s history is filled with lively anecdotes.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”