Gambling has been around for many centuries. There is reference to it dating back to 100AD when dice rolling and card games were popular, and it is likely that it was going on well before that. As a form of entertainment, and a form of profit for those who win, there is nothing quite like a flutter on something.
The gambling industry has changed much in the ensuing decades, and modern casinos were what really brought the chance to gamble living in everyone’s casino dreams, whether that be by playing slots or playing games such as poker, roulette, and blackjack, to the masses.
Table of Contents
The First Casinos
When you think of casinos, you mind might automatically go to the online versions, or perhaps a city like Las Vegas which is full of buildings all housing different games and slots. However, the very first casino was rather different. It was not a flamboyant, over the top building in America; it actually sat (and still sitrs) on the Grand Canal in Venice; it is the Casino di Venezia.
The Casino di Venezia opened in 1638 and was originally a theatre. However, it soon became more famous for its gambling wing which was open during the interval of any play than it did for the shows put on there. As time went on, more and more casinos were built in Venice, and there were more than 120 by 1744.
The 18th Centuries
Although casinos had clearly been popular in Venice for some time, it took a little while for the rest of the world to catch up. However, by the 18th century, more beautiful buildings were being created in some of the most glamorous spots around the world including Monte Carlo, Baden-Baden, and Wiesbaden. Mainland Europe was becoming a destination for serious gamblers who wanted to not only enjoy the games but to have some sophistication and elegance thrown in. These buildings were not ‘run of the mill’; they were like mini palaces. The reason for this was simple; if those entering the buildings felt rich, they would play like they were rich (even if they weren’t).
Las Vegas
When talking about the history of the casino and the changes made to them over the years, it would be remiss to ignore the part that Las Vegas has to play. This element all began in 1905 when railroad workers who needed some downtime when laying the tracks between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City started their own gambling dens in a stretch of Nevada desert. Soon enough, the area known today as Las Vegas was a hotbed of bad behaviour and was notorious for prostitution, drinking and, of course, gambling.
Because of this, the authorities stamped down hard on gambling in the area, and between 1910 and 1931 it was outlawed in the whole of Nevada. Not that this meant anything, however; secret gambling rooms and speakeasies were quickly set up so that all could continue as before.
By the time the state made gambling legal in 1931, the scene had already taken off. By 1941, the bright light’s city was up and running with the first big money resort, El Rancho Vegas (the Golden Gate Hotel was built before this, but it was nowhere near as glamorous, and it wasn’t a casino, just a hotel that allowed players to have somewhere to stay while they searched out the underground poker tables).
El Rancho was like nothing that had been seen before. It had everything a gambler could want including horse riding, swimming pools, and plenty of games. There were two blackjack tables, one roulette wheel, one craps table, and around 70 different slot machines. This was the start. Others soon followed, and the Las Vegas we know and love today was born.
The 1990s
Nothing much changed for 50 years or so. Casinos were big, brash buildings full of games (more were added over time and there was plenty of competition) that, no matter how much you might want to, not everyone could get to. The fact that they were miles away, that it would take time to make the journey, was one problem. Many people who would have loved to have played at a real poker table or thrown the dice at craps just couldn’t get to where the action was.
The Internet changed all of that, just as it changed everything else we do in life. By the 1990s, when the Internet was just starting out, casinos were already being built online. Although they were very basic, casino sites opened online, offering the chance to play games such as bingo and poker for real money. Over time, these games have been updated and increased in number, and they now look, sound, and feel like the real thing. Online gaming and gambling meant that anyone could play no matter where they were or even what time it was. Gambling and casinos were opened up to a whole new group of people.
Mobile Gaming
The latest transformation for the casinos is mobile gaming. Online gambling was great, and is still used by many from their desktops and laptops, but what has really offered immense freedom is the mobile element. Thanks to smartphones and tablets, players can download an app or go to a website wherever they happen to be (assuming they have Internet access, of course) and play their games even if they only have a few spare minutes on their lunch break, between meetings, or waiting in the car for the kids to come out of school.
In 2018, 40 percent of the entire online gambling market was accounted for with mobile gaming, and it is like that this number will grow. In a busy world, people just don’t have time to visit physical casinos, but they do have time to play on mobile slot games for five minutes here and there. Plus you can now even join in live casino games with a real dealer and other players. Advances are being made all the time, and for those who love casinos and gambling, the changes are absolutely fascinating. What is going to happen next?
About Carson Derrow
