A History of Gambling in America (part3)

The river boat system proved a winning play for early gamblers

The American public seemed to have a recreational love for gambling. Every societal level from the Founding Fathers to common workers took part in gambling. Known in gambling news, were the whole towns created along the Mississippi River that were funded on the foundations of casinos. America in its growth would experience a cleansing from a rising fraction of society that would try to seek the extinguish gambling.

● President Jackson resented privilege and felt everyone had the right to gamble
● Gamblers were very success aboard river boats cheating patrons
● By 1860, all but three U.S. states outlawed state lotteries

Vicksburg, Mississippi would feel the full extent of the new moralist movement determined to “cleanse” the United States of its addition to gambling. With the reputation of the gambler decreasing, these swindlers found themselves with little sanctuary from critics and violent vigilante groups. The river boat system would prove to be a “golden” opportunities for gamblers seeking refuge.

Gambling starts to shape the moralistic image of America

In the 1800’s the movement by moralists to outlaw gambling was part of a larger movement for the social advancement of America. Put alongside issues such as temperance, women’s rights, prison reform, education reform and the abolition of slavery, the outlawing of gambling gained momentum. Prior to the Revolutionary War, there were laws banning gambling activities within the homes.

These laws also included singling and other forms of entertainment. Post-war American attitudes of law makers were different. Although most of the current US gambling laws at the time were directed towards lotteries. U.S. President Andrew Jackson was an avid gambler, but more importantly he resented privileged society and didn’t want to put into law a practice that would only limit the working masses.

Gambling remained a strong part of the Southern Ethos which included farming and slavery. Greater reflecting the Spanish, French and early Virginians, gambling was more relaxed in south. The Vicksburg revolt started a trend among other towns. Many people joined to remove gambling throughout many small towns along the Mississippi River.
Gamblers found their way to the river boats along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

The gamblers found the river boats to be filled with people who cared plenty of cash with them. The purpose for the river boat network was to carry supplies of cotton, tobacco and other products from the southern states to the northern manufacturers. When the gamblers first appeared aboard river boats, the river boat captains showed intolerance for them by kicking them off the board or leaving them stranded on islands.

Fertile ground is established in the form of river boat gambling

After some time, the gamblers smartened up and began to offer captain’s money to stay aboard. As a result, gamblers could run their games completely undisturbed up and down the river. These ventures proved lucrative as these multi-leveled boats would have the slaves of river boat captains gambling in the lower decks while lavishly decorated upper levels had patrons casino gambling.

What wasn’t known were the small teams of gambling groups that toured from river boat to river boat running their scams on unsuspecting patrons. The “snail’s pace” of the river boats provided ample time for the teams to plot and “pull off” their schemes. The gamblers would go among crowds and give each other various hand signals when opportunities showed themselves.

Often, the gamblers would incorporate assistance from river boat workers to appear more legitimate in the eyes of their targets. The professional gamblers, called “sharks” or “sharkers” used many tricks during their escapades. They often marked cards or shaved them for their advantage during hands. Some more ambitious gamblers would create mechanical contraptions they kept under their clothing to deliver the cards they desired.
Cheating became a commonplace amongst the river boat network.

Lotteries met their demise with Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts ended their lotteries in 1833. Within seven years most states banned lotteries all together. After the Civil War only Delaware, Missouri and Kentucky allowed state lotteries. This prohibition didn’t prevent these legalized states from mailing and smuggling lottery tickets to people willing to pay for them. As opportunities faded on river boats and lotteries, Sutter’s Mill would make US gambling news.