| Abstrakt: |
Abstract: The emergence of bookmakers was one signal of the advancing commercialisation of sport in Central Europe in the interwar period. The first bookmaking licence in Czechoslovakia authorising betting on the outcomes of sports matches with the exception of horse racing was awarded in January 1934. This was used to set up the Sposak bookmakers by later-fascist, Josef Burda. The Vernon-Toto bookmaker broke away from the company a year later, formed by Burda’s associate, Jiří Rübenstein. Both bookmakers operated on the basis of a British bookmaking licence, and betting was organised according to the British model. Bets were mainly taken for football matches. In the second half of 1935 and early 1936, bookmakers were again abolished in Czechoslovakia, as they were considered competition to the state lottery. |
