Back to the Origins: The First Games of Chance
There are some people that have a somewhat dimmed worldview according to which gambling is a modern “problem” that came about with the advent of casinos and that we should do away with it for good. What these people fail to realize is that gambling has had a history as far as humanity goes. And we’re not talking about gambling in the form of taking risks that may eventually lead to payouts, either. We’re talking about gambling in the form of playing games of chance and betting on various outcomes with the chance to win big. Long before you could play online gambling games like blackjack for free at reddogcasino.com, there were still several gambling games that were played throughout the world.
So, knowing this, how far do you think gambling goes? As far back as Ancient Rome, maybe? Or Ancient Greece? Well, as it turns out, there’s much historical evidence that shows that primitive forms of gambling games have been played throughout the history of human civilization, with the earliest signs of gambling games that date as far back as 2300 BC. This is a pretty long time indeed – and it shows that gambling has always been popular with humans, long before modern technology changed our lives in immeasurable ways.
So, if you want to learn more about the history of games of chance, you have come to the right place. Below you will find all the information you need on the subject at hand. You will learn about the early developments of gambling games as we know them today – and you will get to see how some of the most popular gambling games that we know and love nowadays have started. At the end of this review, you will acquire a newfound appreciation of the world of gambling so that you will be able to enjoy gambling even more so, on another, more profound level. So, if you’re interested, then let’s get to it.
Gambling Games in Ancient China
The civilization of Ancient China was highly progressive for its time. There are written historical accounts and evidence to suggest that the people of Ancient China were a highly advanced form of civilization, especially given the spirit of the times. And one way in which the Ancient Chinese people showed their advancement in history is by inventing the first game of chance that we have a trace for in human history.
Namely, historians and archeologists have managed to uncover certain tiles that show that there was a primitive form of a gambling game in the form of a lottery back in the days of Ancient China. The way historians deduced this is by performing analysis of the so-called ancient “Book of Songs.” In it, there’s a reference to the so-called practice of “drawing of wood.” And according to the text, there was indeed an ancient lottery game at play here. Furthermore, there’s evidence to suggest that ancient games of lottery were used to fund various aspects of public life – including the construction and building of the Great Wall of China.
Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome
The people of both Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome were avid gamblers, as historical evidence shows. Sophocles, a great Greek poet, has stated that dice were created by a mythical hero at the battle of Troy. This may not have a factual basis – however, it’s still worth mentioning that dice were known to be used by gamblers in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
In fact, the Romans and Greeks were known to be avid gamblers. Reports say that they were using every chance that they’ve got to gamble. This caught on so fast that the authorities of Ancient Rome forbade people from playing any form of gambling games. If people were caught gambling, then according to law, they would have to pay a heavy fine of 4x of the money that they were gambling with.
And since necessity is the mother of all invention, even in the case of gambling, the wily Ancient Romans invented the earliest form of casino chips. Every chip was worth a certain sum of money. The benefit of it was that the authorities were, for the most part, oblivious to this. If people were caught gambling, they would show the chips and state that they were playing for fun, not for real money.
Ancient Card Games
There’s evidence to show that the first games with cards have appeared, once again, in China, this time in the 9th century AD. However, historians and archeologists have come short in discovering the exact rules on which these card games were based. There are differences of opinion on the exact nature of the card games of old China.
Some historians claim that the first cards used in card games in China were for the game of domino. Others still suggest that the available cards were used as a stake in the game and that the game was played with them. However, it’s hard to suppose that these old Chinese card games have any relation with the modern cards that are used around the globe, i.e., the 52-card deck.
The Game of Baccarat
And what about the all-time favorite game of baccarat? How far in human history can we trace its origins to? Well, analysis of historical accounts shows that one of the most primitive versions of the game of baccarat, as we know it today, was played at the beginning of the 15th century. It was first discovered in Italy, but a word of this fun game soon spread to France.
However, it’s important to note that, in the early days, the game of baccarat was almost nothing like we know today. In fact, it took several centuries for baccarat to get close to the modern form that we play today. It’s estimated that the most modern version came from non-other than the island country of Cuba. It traveled, so to speak, to Britain and then emigrated to the US. The game underwent a few changes to its core ruleset along the way, as it’s normal to be expected.
It fills us with awe to realize that, ever since its humble beginnings in Italy in the 15th century, baccarat has grown to be one of the most popular gambling games to date. And the weirdest thing about it is that it’s not really even a game in the full meaning of the word – it’s just spectators betting on various outcomes. Regardless, some of the biggest high rollers in the world are known to enjoy baccarat most, so the game is a staple of most land-based and online casinos around the globe.
The Game of Blackjack
As you can see by now, practically every gambling game of the modern day and age has had its history, and it was created at one point or another in time. So is the case with the all-time favorite game of blackjack. As it turns out, there are several accounts of the game of a primitive form of blackjack coming about at the beginning of the 16th century. And the game had other names, too, such as “Quinze,” which means “15,” “Trente-Un,” which means “31,” and various other names, too. But, unfortunately, historians of gambling have it rough due to the fact that it seldom was the case that gambling games were noted in historical texts.
One early version of blackjack that seems to be the earliest form of the game was Ventiuna, which means “21”. This game was described in a classic book written by the renowned author Miguel de Cervantes. However, gambling historians agree that the earliest version of blackjack in its most modern form comes in the form of the game vingt-et-un, created in France in the 17th century. The early emigrants from France took the rules of this game to the new continent of America, where the game immediately stuck with the fans of gambling.
As for the name “blackjack”, it appears to be conceived by casino owners back in the 20th century. The goal here was to entice people to play this game, so a set of special rules was introduced. Huge payouts were offered, to the tune of 10 to 1, if the players managed to win with a jack of spades or clubs and an ace of spades. As you can imagine, these incredible odds and payouts didn’t need to last long to attract players’ attention, so they were quickly pulled away, and regular payout rules were reinstated. However, the promotional name Blackjack stuck, and it’s the name of the game as we know it today.
The First Casinos
When it comes to the first casinos, they are a much more recent invention. These so-called early gambling houses first appeared at the beginning of the 17th century in the country of Italy. One such example was the so-called Ridotto establishment. The purpose of the Ridotto was to control gambling during the carnival season. It was situated in the city of Venice.
Word of this caught up and gambling houses – or casinos – began to come about all over Europe in the 1800s. And gambling houses were much more informal in the United States of America. Perhaps you’ve heard of the stories of affluent people being taken in boats through the Mississippi River, where various gambling games were played. And this eventually evolved in the gambling city of Las Vegas.
The Game of Roulette
Perhaps the king of all gambling games, the notorious game of roulette itself, is not without history. The roulette game was invented in Paris, France, where the original game took the rules, ironically, of what we know now as American Roulette. So, the first versions of roulette were known to have double zeroes, which, as you may already know, significantly increases the house edge and, consequently, decreases the chance of the player winning.
But no less than 50 years after the invention of the original rules of roulette, there came the new version of the game that featured a single zero, much to the delight of the fans of the game. This is what we now know to be the so-called French Roulette game. The game blew up with its adoption by the world-renowned Monte Carlo Casino. But the rules of roulette in America kept the double zeroes, so this version of the game is now known as American Roulette – once again, even though the game was invented in France.
The Game of Poker
There are different historical accounts of the exact origins of the game of poker. Some historians traced the game back to Persia in the 17th century. Other historians claim that the origin of poker can be traced back to the French game known by the name of Poque. A popular actor stated that a recognizable version of the game had been played in 1829 in New Orleans.
Contrary to what you might think, poker was not as popular a game of chance when it was originally created as it is today. In fact, its rise in popularity has been rather slow, unlike what most fans of the game expected. However, the game of poker came to the forefront of gambling near the end of the 20th century when tournaments in poker were held in Vegas. And the game of poker exploded in popularity with the advent of online gambling. As a result, hundreds of thousands of online poker rooms have been created worldwide in which players compete from the comfort of their own homes.
Also, the highly televised WSOP is one of the main reasons poker is so popular nowadays – especially its Texas Hold’Em form. A single event that helped Texas Hold’Em explode in popularity was when Chris Moneymaker, an amateur poker player, qualified for the WSOP by playing an online poker satellite tournament. Chris won $2.5 million by winning this tournament and was responsible for coining the so-called Moneymaker effect – or the extreme growth in popularity of poker after the Moneymaker win at the 2003 WSOP. Today, poker is as popular as ever, with millions of players playing the game worldwide.
The Early Slot Machines
And of course, what modern casino can say that it’s worth its salt if it doesn’t have video slot machines? Well, as it turns out, video poker games are a more modern invention. A prototype of the video slot was created in New York by Sittman and Pitt. This game was created based on poker rules, and it used 52 cards from a deck.
Another “primitive” form of a slot machine was created in the form of the so-called Liberty Bell machine. It was created by Charles Fey in the city of San Francisco. There were lots of benefits attached to the use of this machine – namely, the calculation of the winnings was performed in a lot easier and more precise way, which made regulating the payouts a lot easier, too. The Liberty Bell machine is considered the first form of a modern slot machine.
Of course, the first slot machines had nothing to do with paying out money. Instead, they paid people in candy and bubble gums. But the creators of slots soon caught up to the notion that slot machines that paid in money could grow to be extremely popular. And so, the first slot machines that paid money came out in 1976 in the United States of America, in both casinos and bars, and they were widely used by fans of gambling.
Of course, we couldn’t breeze through this section without mentioning the all-time favorite online gambling games in the form of video slots. Online casinos are full of these online video slots and they are some of the most widely played gambling games on the internet to date.
The Legality of Gambling in the United States of America
It could be said that the world capital of gambling is found in the United States of America. However, paradoxically, the USA has had its ups and downs regarding gambling in its many forms. And this goes back to when the first emigrants came to the continent. There were those who wanted to get gambling banned in every shape and form and those who enjoyed gambling as a hobby. At one point at the beginning of the 20th century, gambling was deemed illegal across the United States of America – alongside alcohol sales and use.
However, this prohibition didn’t last long. When the great depression in the 1930s came about, the authorities decided to lift the ban on gambling, and it was once again legal in several states of the USA. Today, gambling is still legal in many of the United States, but there are still some gray areas in terms of the gambling legislation. The city of Las Vegas was built on gambling. However, there are still many limitations to online gambling, for example, which shows the ups and downs of America’s relationship with gambling.
Online Gambling
Near the end of the 20th century, the revolutionary invention of the internet came to take place in the modern world. And one of the first pioneers of online gambling was the company Microgaming – which has managed to continue to develop gambling products and remain one of the biggest names in iGaming to this very day. Ever since online gambling was first created, it quickly grew to be a billion-dollar industry.
And the new inventions in the field of online gambling aren’t letting up. For example, back in 2003, the first live dealer games came about. The first developer of the live dealer games was the company of Playtech, which is, once again, a major company in the iGaming market nowadays. The live dealer games are a much-needed and wanted bridge between the somewhat distant worlds of land-based casino gambling and online gambling. We can only speculate what kinds of inventions the online gambling industry will experience in the near and distant future.
Mobile Gambling
At last, we have one of the latest advancements in the field of online gambling – mobile gambling. The state of New Jersey of the United States of America legalized online gambling back in 2011, and online gambling has exploded in popularity.
And with the advent of mobile technology, it’s now quite possible to play the most popular gambling games on your mobile device, too. Given how relatively cheap it is to purchase a mobile device and access the internet nowadays, it’s quite obvious while mobile gambling has become so popular.
One of the most significant benefits of mobile gambling is that you can do it from almost anywhere, provided you have a mobile device and access to the internet. As a result, developers have stepped up the game, creating some outstanding mobile gaming products for the mobile gaming market. This has resulted in a further explosion of the popularity of mobile gaming, and it seems that the sky is the limit for this still developing mobile market.
Conclusion – The History of Gambling
So, there you have it. You have learned a great deal about not just the earliest days of gambling, and the way gambling games were played in ancient countries such as China, Greece, and Rome, but you’ve also learned a lot about the recent developments of gambling. You’ve learned that gambling has been present in human history since time immemorial, and it’s likely to remain a popular pastime for a long time to come – perhaps until the very end of humanity.
As for the future of gambling, nothing is certain, but it will continue to develop. We’re likely to see new games being invented and new ways gamblers can play these new games. So, there are some exciting times that wait for us in the world of gambling.
