History of Gambling in America,

History of Gambling in America - Part 1.

History of Gambling in America - Part 2.

History of Gambling in America - Part 3.

History of Gambling in America - Part 4.

History of Gambling in America - Part 5.

Gambling History.

The human race is one filled with gamblers — and it seems it's always been this way! The very first accounts of gambling were recorded around 2300 B.C. In China. The wagering of valuables in games of chance was also very popular in Ancient Greece, despite the fact it was illegal. This mere technicality failed to halt such activities then, as it does today in countries around the world in which gambling is banned today.

The basis of so many of today's favourite gambling games such Blackjack and Poker — are also thought to have been invented in China (or nearby in ancient India). Sometime around 900 A.D., the Chinese came up with the idea when they began shuffling paper money (yes, another Chinese invention) into various combinations. The strong connection to the Orient continues today, with general Chinese term for playing cards translating to «paper tickets» . The contemporary 52-card deck — used in the U.S. today — was original referred to as the «French Pack» (somewhere in the 1600's). This pack was adopted as which was later adopted by the English and subsequently the Americans.

Dice have been fascinating people and making them richer or poorer for over 2000 years. Even the language of dice follows history. When Caesar made his critical decision to take his victorious army across the Rubicon against the edict of Rome, he took his retort from the lexicon of the dice player : «lacta alea est». The die is cast. History shows that a game called «Hazard» was players by the most fashionable men of 18^th and 19^th century England. The rolled dice in luxurious private gambling houses and bet everything from coins to the family silver.

The French learned the game from the English and called it «Craps», a corruption of «Crabs», the name for a pair of ones. When Europeans arrived in the Americas and other settled countries throughout the world, they brought their dice with them. Ass dice were rolled on riverboats, wharfs and in private houses, a simplified Americanised version of «Craps» developed. The popular game moved west with the frontier, adding extra colour to the nightlife of pioneers. Today it is played in homes and clubs across the country.

Legal or not, it is a part of the American heritage. In 1776, sanctioned by the infant government of the US, legal gambling was used in a variety of ways to raise money for a young country. Two centuries later, the US government allowed casinos only in Nevada and one lottery in New Hampshire. However, in less than the next twenty years, gambling revenues had risen ti $329.9 billion, an amazing 1900% increase! Gambling was legal out West from 1850's to 1910, at which time Nevada made it a felony to operate a gambling game.

In 1931, Nevada re-legalized casino gambling where Blackjack became one of the primary games of chance offered to gamblers. The world today recognizes the gambling draw card of Las Vegas as readily as any American icon and the glitz and glamour of that city made it into many of Hollywood movie.