Gambling History - Learn the History of Gambling

In history, gambling has been among the oldest identified pursuits of mankind and among the earliest kinds of entertainment. There are archaeological evidences suggesting that even primitive cavemen were once into gambling. Dice-like items made from ankle bones of dog or sheep from about 40,000 years back have been found. Even cave drawings that depict gambling present additional proof that gambling had been an active form of pastime during the ancient times.

About 2300 BC, a game of chance using tiles has been invented in China. Gambling artifacts dated about the same time have also been discovered in Egypt, Rome, and India. The idea behind poker and blackjack sprouted from the early practice of shuffling paper notes or money in China around 900 AD. This practice evolved into card playing that was consequently brought by the Mameluke Empire to Europe. Because Mameluke people were Muslims, the early playing cards they introduced to the continent did not feature human forms, but were adorned mainly with intricate designs, which were mostly reminiscent of Muslim carpets.

Card makers started distinguishing playing cards with royal ranks identified with the Royal Court when the objects were introduced in Spain and Italy. The Queen in modern-day decks appeared since the 1500s, during the time the French held the playing cards and replaced a male card with a female figure that represents the Queen. Such cards were identified as the ‘French Pack,’ which has served as a prototype of the current 52-card deck being used today.

Gambling even figured in history as a way to resolve conflicts. Around 1000 AD, King Olaf of Sweden and King Olaf of Norway agreed to roll a pair of dice to resolve issues arising from both countries’ claims over the ownership of Hising, a relatively isolated district in between the two territories. The conflict had not been resolved diplomatically so the two kings agreed to get fair chances to arrive to a solution. In the game, Norway won and as agreed, received the right to the disputed territory. The kings departed on very good terms.

The popularity of gambling became so overwhelming that during the Middle Ages, problems emerged. Several European countries prohibited soldiers to engage in gambling practices because participation in any of the games apparently prevented such military servants to carry out their duties appropriately. King Henry VIII of England specifically banned gambling when numerous soldiers started devoting more time on gambling than on drills and marksmanship.

During the 1830s, casinos and house cuts first surfaced in Cincinnati. Refugees used gambling as an opportunity to earn income. They set up gambling houses and cut a 10% charge from the games. Thus, the practice has been called ’10 Percent Houses.’ Cincinnati is also known in gambling history as the birthplace of ‘Horse-Hair game,’ a technique for cheating in playing cards wherein a player manipulates cards and chips through the use of horse hair attached to vest buttons.

Nevada, the United States’ as well as the world’s gambling capital, made it a felony to facilitate gambling practices in the state in 1910. In 1931, amid strong public clamor, the state legislation legalized gambling again and since then, Nevada, particularly Las Vegas, started its feat to become the greatest gambling area worldwide. With the advent of the Internet, online gambling has become among the most prosperous and rapidly growing online industries, accounting to billions of dollars in accumulated revenue annually. More and more gamblers now prefer to gamble on line for practicality, overall security, and convenience.