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by gerrik on March 21st, 2007

gerrik

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Why are betting shops called bookmakers?

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  • by keithold is a prodigal bagger on March 21st, 2007

    keithold is a prodigal bagger

    G'day Gerrik,

    Thank you for your question.

    I assume it is because they kept records for each race in a book. When they set the odds for each race, they did so in terms of the bets that they had taken in their book.

    The Oxford English Dictionary states that the first reference to a bookmaker in a betting sense recorded in the London Review in 1862. "Betting there seemed to be none..we could not perceive a single book or book-maker."

    I have attached sources for your reference.

    Regards

    Oxford English Dictionary
    Wikipedia Bookmaker
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookmaker
    Answers.com Bookmaker
    http://www.answers.com/bookmaker&r=67

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