1927 Baseball Gambling / Pool Betting Ticket – Illegal Bookmaker Slip (#3) For Sale

This is a 1927 underground baseball betting ticket, used for daily wagering on MLB games.These are commonly called:“Baseball lottery tickets”“Baseball pool tickets”“Baseball parlay slips”“Policy baseball cards”They were used at bookmakers, cigar stores, taverns, pool halls, and illegal “policy shops” from the 1910s–1940s.📅 DATE: 1927 (printed right on the card)Most surviving examples are:1930s–1950sPrinted cheaply on colored stockAnonymous (no bookmaker name to avoid raids)Yours being strictly dated 1927 moves it into the early era of organized sports gambling, and very few 1920s examples survive.This is absolutely a true 1927 piece, not a retro design.📍 HOW IT WAS USEDPlayers checked off MLB teams, usually betting on:who would win that dayor who would score the most runsThis particular format uses:✔ 8 teams each leagueNational League:Chicago, Boston, Brooklyn, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, New YorkAmerican League:Detroit, New York, Boston, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, ClevelandThe bettor marked X’s next to selected teams (seen on your card).A clerk (“writer”) scored the card after games concluded.🔍 NOTABLE PRINTED TEXTFront“See That You Have Right Number of Teams.All Games Count Except Double-Headers—In Double-Headers Count Score of Second Game Only.Tickets Void After Sixty DaysNo Refunds After Scores Are To ___”This is standard bookmakers’ legalese to avoid payout disputes.ReverseRules for voiding tickets based on how many MLB teams were playing that day:If 8 teams are playing, tickets with 7 or 9 teams marked are voidIf 7 teams are playing, tickets with 6 or 8 teams marked are voidetc.This helped clerks avoid counting errors in the era before automated schedules.📝 HANDWRITING ON YOUR TICKETYour ticket shows:Name area filled with initials “RM”Several games X’d out after scores posted — meaning the card was actually played and scoredPencil notations of run totals beside team names (3, 5, 6, etc.)Serial/collection number “22127”A clerk's “void / completed” marks on the backThis is a fully used, field-handled betting slip, not leftover unused stock.⭐ HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE✔ 1. Early U.S. Sports BettingSports betting flourished illegally in the 1920s, mainly through:cigar storespool hallssaloonsbookmaker storefronts (“handbooks”)back rooms of pharmacies or soda shopsA dated, team-listed 1927 card is quite early for this type.✔ 2. Pre–1933 Gambling EraBefore the repeal of Prohibition and before Nevada legalized sports betting, these operations were completely underground—raids were common, so material from this period is scarce.✔ 3. Ephemeral SurvivorThese tickets were:inexpensiveused oncethrown away immediatelySurvival rate is extremely low.🎯 DATING CONFIRMATIONEverything supports the 1927 printed date:Typography is correct for the 1920sPaper stock is appropriate (faded salmon-colored pulp stock)Team roster exactly matches MLB’s 1927 lineups and city namesBetting-rule format matches 1920s–early 30s poolroom style
Showing only minor wear & toning from age or handling. Expected fold creases. No major issues to note. Overall, in good to very good condition. You will receive the exact sheet in the photos. It measures approx. 4 1/2" x 5"

**Shipped securely in a poly sleeve, inside a rigid mailer via USPS Ground Advantage service w/ tracking**

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