Gambling and the Great War

By 1910 gambling was illegal across the United States, yet the practice persisted behind closed doors. Law enforcement raids of establishments that continued to offer gaming were not uncommon. Much less common, however, was the crackdown on charity raffles held by upstanding citizens in support of worthy causes. MHS senior curator Jennifer Bottomly-O’looney explores the divergent types of illegal gambling that took place during World War I.