Roosevelt Acts in First Year Described as Involving U.S. In Land's "Greatest Gamble" Toronto Saturday March 3rd 1934 Buried on an inner page FDR's "Greatest Gamble". Here we are in another global recession, the world still watches U.S. politicians, and waits for the trickle down of their decisions. I seem to remember people hoping that Obama would follow the same bold courses that Roosvelt took, but it looks like the world was just as nervous about committing to major changes back in his day.