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To understand the history of gambling, we must first ask, what is the purpose of the casino? Gambling is betting on something of value to win a prize. Chances are, then, that you’ll find gambling wherever you find people. After all, people always take risks to get something.
In fact, gambling has been around for a long time. Since at least 2,000 BC, to be precise, gambling has been one of mankind’s most ancient pastimes. We’ll talk more about it here at Xgtiger Casino.
Who Invented Gambling?
The question of who invented gambling is not easy to answer. The inventors of casino games are rarely mentioned in any historical documents.
However, dice have been found in excavations in China dating back to 600 BC and an Egyptian tomb from 2000 BC.
But we don’t know if these things were used in gaming. They may have been used as divination instruments to make predictions.
Gambling in Ancient Civilizations
The Greek poet Sophocles refers to dice in his writings, which date from about 500 BC. Interestingly, the Greek word for justice is dice, which means “to throw”—as in the throwing of dice—and, presumably, the casting of dice or lots was also originally used to administer justice.
Meanwhile, pottery from Ancient Rome shows scenes of people betting on animal fights. And after gambling was outlawed in Rome, gambling chips were invented to allow the player to win they weren’t playing for real money.
Tiles have also been found that appear to have been used in some early games of chance in Ancient China, where we also see the origins of the keno gambling game. The original Chinese name of this game roughly translates as ‘white pigeon ticket.’
In 800 AD in China, we also find evidence of the first playing cards, although we don’t know what games they played, and the cards were not like the ones we use today.
Gambling In Medieval Times
For most of the Middle Ages, commoners were forbidden from gambling. However, aristocrats and royalty continued to enjoy the activity, and there are accounts of wealthy individuals losing large sums of money in various betting games.
There is also evidence of dice and cards being played during the Medieval period. Small dice were made from bones, and historical documents suggest that the penalty for playing the wrong dice was having the die penetrate the cheater’s palm.
In the 1400s, we also refer to the game baccarat; a card game that is still played today.
17th Century
The first legal gambling houses appeared in the 17th Century. Known as Il Ridotta, it was opened in 1638 in Venice to entertain people during the Venice Carnival.
In the 1600s, we also find a reference to the ventiuna game by the author of Don Quixote. Some researchers claim that this is the origin of what we know today as blackjack.
18th century
The first mention of roulette was in Bordeaux in 1716. The game was an evolution of hoca and portique and would undergo several other iterations before settling on its current layout around 1790.
19th Century
This is the heyday of European casinos. At this point, they have spread across the continent.
In this Century, we also find accounts of poker games derived from the French game poque.
And the first slot machine was also invented in the 1890s by Charles Fey in San Francisco, which paved the way for electronic and online casino slot machines.
20th century
By the 20th Century, casinos had become widespread around the world, although, in the US, they were illegal in most states except New Jersey and Nevada.
In the 1970s, the first video slot machine was invented by the Fortune Coin Company.
And then, in 1994, online gambling took off after gambling software developers Microgaming introduced the first real-money online casino. Today, Online Casino is a multi-billion dollar industry.
Gambling Today
Since the invention of the online casino, we’ve seen the emergence of everything from live dealer casinos—which feature real dealers dealing in real-time—to online streaming, where players stream their himself playing games to a live audience.
Now the focus is on developing mobile gambling and exploring the potential of virtual reality technology and cryptocurrencies at Xgtiger Casino, which could further transform the online casino.
Conclusion
Are you an avid gaming fan and want to know how to bet on online casino games? At Xgtiger, you’ll get the latest information on this year’s best casino games and a variety of gaming options, all in one place.
To start your online gambling journey, all you need to do is create an account on the site, deposit funds and you’ll be ready to bet on the best and most anticipated casino games.
Frequently asked questions
2300 B.C. The first known record of gambling is made. 600 B.C. The first minted currency is invented in Lydia in the 7th century. 800 A.D. The first record of playing cards is made in China. 1600 The first casino is invented in Italy.
