Gambling Operations - Types

Illegal gambling is found everywhere, now more and more cities are allowing some forms of gambling to be legalized, and "regulated." Why is gambling illegal? Gambling is illegal because, people can become addicted to gambling, and gamble more money then they have. When there debt is high, and their time is running out, they'll do anything to pay this debt off. That's it. It is a sorry reason to make gambling illegal, everyone loves making a wager now and then.

Types of Gambling Operations
The many types of illegal gambling operations run throughout the country by organized crime. They range from nickel games, to operations taking in thousands of dollars a pop. Loan sharking goes hand in hand with most of these operations, so that those who cannot pay a debt to the man running the operation, has to goto the sharks, to take out a bigger chunk of money; thus, getting sucked deeper into debt.

The Bookie Operation
A bookie operation, is a gambling venture based on sports bets. Daily every football, basketball, baseball, hockey game, is looked at, and decided upon, the odds for each team winning or loosing. These odds are then used to determine the payoff of each bet. People call the bookie service, place their bet, and its that simple. Bookie operations, can be small, taking bets ranging from a dollar to fifty dollars, or can be large operations taking in houndreds per bet. What happens when too many people make the same bet, on the same team, and the bookie thinks he's going to take a big hit? The bookie then goes to another bookie, and lays down a bet for the team everyone is betting on. This is like taking out insurance, for the book. How do you get your own book started? Simple. Start taking bets from friends, neighbors, people you know, ect after getting all the games down. Normally keep the payoff, just a little under the bet. Get a good system down for taking bets, and payoff. Your people will not only bring in new people, but you can go and advertise a little for yourself once you get a steady flow of customers.

Numbers Operation aka The Street Lotto aka Policy
This was originally started by the blacks in the 20s i'd guess. The sicilian and italian organizations eventually took this operation up for theirselves. Numbers is simply an illegal street lottery. Numbers are taken by runners, who go from house to house, business to business taking bets, starting as little as a nickel back when this operation was in its prime. This game offers fast cash, a dollar to every penny basically, and in the 20s and 30s, who could turn that down? Now i'm sure each bet cost more than a penny or nickel, but the payoff is still very good. These numbers that are picked, can come from just about everywhere. I have read that some operations used a random number that the newspaper would put in the corner of each issue, as the winning number. Other operations used elaborate formulas, using horse racing odds, or winners and various other things.

The Backroom Card Game
This is self explanatory. A card game in the backroom of the local barbershop, for customers. Simple, and yields a small but good profit.

The Second Floor Casino
These are normally for people wagering a minimum of fifty dollars a pop. This is where a small casino would be upstairs from a legitimate business. These casinos have craps tables, blackjack, and virtually a little bit of everything a real casino would have, just on a smaller scale. These operations are very profitable for organized crime, but the payoff for cops on the beat is a little higher then some of the other operations, because of how flashy this is.

Casino Skimming
Organized crime now plays a smaller role in casino skimming than it had in the past. Strict laws have forced organized crime, out of this racket. Normally this would work, with organized crime groups first buying the casino, through a legitimate person, who acts as the front man. The owner would then higher organized crime figures to keep the skim on. I am unsure how much of this is going on in the US.