While not the same as they are now, casinos have been round for a long time. We take a look into the history of casinos…
When you think of casinos, you probably imagine the glitz, glamour and flashing lights of the casinos we all know today. With electric machines, cocktails, tables to play and restaurants, casinos have evolved from what they once were.
Gambling has been a permanent past time throughout history, with the earliest gambling ever dating all the way back to the Chinese in around 2300BC and ancient Egyptians in 1500BC. The oldest forms of gambling included using dice-like objects, but it’s not clear what different games were played. The Chinese played “baige piao” a game which translates as “white pigeon ticket” and is connected to tickets with homing pigeons. Greece played dice games and had numbers such as throwing a double siz which meant you had the “Throw of Aphrodite” and it could not be beaten.
While betting and gambling iteself is thousands of years old, the first official casino (and then Mobile Casino ) didn’t come into play until a while later.
The first casino
Gambling used to be done in gambling dens, halls and in pubs, until 1638 when Venice opened Casino di Venezia, the oldest gambling venue known. It was created to be a safe space to gamble and play games, yet the official term “casino” was still not used.
When did casino games come about?
Roulette came along in the 1700s and originated in Paris. During the course of the 19th century roulette became more and more popular, yet the American and European versions still differ with the European version having one green 0 and the American one having two. Poker is less easy to establish when it originated as it seemingly grew organically over decades and centuries of card games. One of the biggest clues to its play as it is today was that Joseph Crowell, an English actor, reported playing it in New Orleans in 1829.
The rise of Vegas gambling
Gambling was also given the spotlight with Vegas in 1905. A group of rail workers who were building a track to connect the state with the Pacific coastline needed a sanctuary from the hard labour of the day. They used to play cards as a way of light relief, yet soon the state outlawed gambling. In an era of prohibition and speakeasies, it was near impossible to hold people to this and soon illicit casinos were growing in popularity forcing the state to legalise gambling again in order to make it safe. The first legitimate casino was Golden Gate, followed by El Rancho Vegas which totally transformed the Vegas gambling scene. It was the first gambling resort and came complete with swimming pools, blackjack tables, a roulette wheel and slot machines. In 1994 the jump to online gambling happened, which has since grown into a multibillion pound industry.
Gambling has been around for hundreds of years and its popularity is only continuing to grow. More and more people head to locations such as Vegas and Monte Carlo to take a try in the casinos and enter poker tournaments. Being online and mobile means more people than ever can tap into casinos whenever they wish. We can’t wait to see just how the industry will continue to evolve.
