In nineteenth-century England, gambling was popularized by the upper and elite classes of English society. While the lower classes spent most of their free time drinking alcohol in local beer halls, the elites preferred to enjoy their free time by spending money and placing large bets. Many historians have compared the lower classes to the upper classes during this era, try to describe gambling in a simplistic way, and discuss which games were popular and in which social class. However, gambling was deeply rooted in English society, was seen as a moral problem by the English government, and was thought to threaten England's development through extreme gambling behaviour. This concern about excessive gambling has increased due to increasing reports of English residents gambling to the point of losing their homes due to huge debts and the endless thrill of luck in gaming. Because elite players tended to have more free time and more disposable income, they preferred to play safely among their social equivalents and even founded exclusive private clubs where they could play in splendid isolation. All classes played with cards and dice, however elite clubs allowed more board games such as jeopardy and roulette. Among the lower classes the pub was the hub of gambling, bets were placed on anything that involved competition. In 1851 the Chambers Edinburgh Joural noted that foot races were where betting was made on poor men who literally ran for bread and bets were placed on these men. Scholars have examined gambling primarily as trivial entertainment. In one of the first academic works dedicated to Europe, The Gaming Table, Andrew Steinmetz argues that “History, as it is commonly written… in the middle of the paper… Consequently, it was impossible to track these positions as they changed frequently to avoid detection and law. It also emerges that 19th century laws and regulations sought to limit banking games while promoting more social games that included horse racing and football matches. However, the laws developed had gaps as they could not be implemented easily, thus allowing illegal gambling to continue under the watchful eyes of law enforcement. The 1845 Amendments promoted the growth of horse racing as a public game with fewer legal restrictions. This gave space for operators to meet and interact at racecourses and hand out business cards aimed at promoting their casinos. Most betting was also conducted outside of racetracks, thus transforming the game of horse racing into a more civilized gambling activity.