A Trip Back In Time: Casinos

Live or online, casinos are wonderful. So, only one thing is left: a history lesson!

Us humans were always prone to gambling. The first accounts on gambling state that 2300 BC China saw a lot of it. Form then on, historians have experienced a surge of other accounts of gambling all throughout the globe. The website Casino-History states that there are a vats array of stories that can be linked to gambling, like tales from Ancient Greece and Rome, all through to France under Napoleon and Elizabethan England. A common belief is that in ancient Rome, even small children gambled or at least practiced some kind of game featuring dice.

• Originally saloons
• Bans in the US
• Soon lifted in Vegas

With such deep roots, it is no surprise that gambling is embedded in us. Of course, everything didn’t start out with luxury casinos and mobile betting sites; card and dice games were most popular back then. A great example of gambling in 1020 AD was when King Olaf of Norway and King Olaf of Sweden decided who should be the owner of a piece of land, Hising. They chose to let the fates decide: they rolled a pair of dice. Seems much more appealing than going to war and killing each other, doesn’t it? France first saw gambling under Napoleon’s rule, when he got hooked on Vingt-Et-Un, the predecessor of Blackjack.

“’Tis a Hazardous matter, Mylord”

The game of Hazard was developed by none other than the English, according to Casino-History. From Hazard, came craps and poker, which is indirectly linked to it. Poker similar to as we know it, evolved with a mix of many culture’s games, like those of the Persians and the Italians. Of course, the game had to develop a lot before it became the poker that we play. For example, the French introduced the whole concept of betting within the game. The English, on the other hand, contributed by adding “Bluffing” to the vast array of tactics that are used by poker players each day.

According to Casino-History, among the very first and most sophisticated casinos was Casino di Venezia, which opened its doors in 1682. If you want to experience some Italian poker rooms, it is highly recommended.
The American casinos featured some less developed versions of the games we play nowadays. To attract many visitors, casinos were built specifically next to places that enjoyed great public popularity. Sometimes, casinos popped up in venues like concerts or sporting events. Instead of casinos, however, they were usually called saloons.

America, the land of prosperity for casinos

These saloon-casinos managed to gain real popularity in America, and they became an important part of socializing. Back then, some of the most favored places to do some gambling included New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago and San Francisco. Of course, these cities still remain popular when it comes to casinos. Saloons provided a safe haven and a rest stop for travellers, who gratefully paid for the kinds of entertainment offered- be it company, music or gambling. Just at the brink of the 1900’s, strict bans were posed on gambling. As a result, professional gamblers were considered outlaws.

However, in 1931, the strict bans were somewhat lifted, so people were once again able to enjoy gambling in a couple of states, like Nevada. The emergence of Las Vegas as a casino-superpower and favorite destination of poker winners is no wonder, then. Soon, prohibitions were also lifted off Atlantic City (the second most favorite gambling town featured a lot in gambling news nowadays.) Other places that allow gambling include one we know today, like Biloxi and Tunica. However, development didn’t stop there: around 1995, the first couple of online casinos appeared, and from then on, the casino industry’s future was fortified.