Gambling is believed to have been around throughout the history of humankind where every set of ages enjoyed a form of a bet. Interestingly, a disputed land between Norway and Sweden was settled by a coin. The earliest documentation of gambling, though, was not recorded until the 2300 B.C by the Chinese, where evidence found in tiles showed two people enjoying gambling with one another. Egyptian dice were also found, this time in 1500 B.C, which means that it is nearly impossible to get the correct data of the history of casino games. However, there is solid evidence of the first casino in Venice which was opened in 1638.
Casino di Venezia, Venice
Gambling is a popular pastime, and it has been for the longest time. There were no legitimate casinos to play, but people would gather in dens and halls. This was until the first casino was launched by the local council of Venice during the carnival season. The idea was to eliminate violence and all forms of trouble associated with gambling by setting up an organized event. Today, Casino di Venezia stands as one of the city’s top buildings of honor.
Dice Games
It is widely believed that dice games predate playing cards by more than a century. They originated from the older version bone-rolling, a fortune-telling form in ancient Egypt, developed into the dice we’ve all come to know. The origin of the dice is tracked back to Korea where Buddhists used them in a game known as Promotion. Today, you’ll find dice in modern games such as sic bo and craps.
Card Games
The French would love to be accorded the honor of being the first people to create recognizable card suits of spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs, but the first people to play cards were from Chinese Turkestan. Baccarat was born in Italy in the 15th century, blackjack in the 18th century in France and poker in the 19th century in New Orleans.
The late 18th century witnessed what can be regarded as a boom in the casino industry, with multiple gaming buildings opening up in parts of mainland Europe. Monte Carlo, Baden-Baden, and Wiesbaden were among the premier casinos who constructed palace-like casinos where the elite would go to play cards.
In major US cities such as Chicago and New York, gambling halls were a reserve for the upper class, who gambled for fun and could afford to live with a lost bet. Slowly they became huge businesses incorporating all categories, where gambling took place in levels. It grew to other strategic areas such as riverboats, giving rise to luxurious floating casinos on the Ohio and Mississippi waters.
Internet Revolution
Not until the 1990s did we see the advent of online casinos, where players would take part in real money casinos, provided they had an internet connection. 1999 seems like the other day in the history of casinos, given how far the industry has come. 1999 was the year that Wild Jack, the premier new-tech casino game was born. Ever since, it has become almost impossible to keep track of innovations in the growing online casino industry, with new games, new ideas, and new technology playing a big part in the evolving scene.
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