For as long as humans have lived together in close proximity, people have been gambling. How did gambling originate, how has it changed over the years, and what are we to expect from the future of gambling?
Gambling is by no means a new activity. There are records of people gambling in ancient China, Rome, and Egypt. People have always been gambling, even when gambling was considered to be a grave sin. In the beginning, though, the origin of gambling was anything but sinful. In fact, it was linked to the gods.
Casting the lots
So, how did it all begin? Gambling originated as a form of divination. People would ‘cast the lots’ by throwing marked sticks in the air and watch how they would land. This would help people predict the future or even the intentions of the gods. The casting of the lots was common in biblical times and is even mentioned several times in the Bible, one example being when the roman guards cast the lots for the clothes of Jesus during his crucifixion.
Although the casting of the lots is not considered to be gambling by today’s definition, it seems that gambling has been more common in societies with several gods. This indicates a connection between the gods, divination, the desire to know the future, and gambling. The future of casinos can be found here if you want to test it out for yourself.
From sin to entertainment
In medieval Europe gambling must have been a very popular activity, because countless regulations and laws were put in place in the attempt to stop people from gambling. In the late 15th century gambling with lotteries was permitted by the government making organized gambling possible, and in the 17th century gambling houses were legalized.
In the late 18th century, there seemed to be a change in the attitude towards gambling. In the past, gambling had solely been viewed as a sin that had to be defeated and suppressed. Later, gambling was viewed as a sign of human weakness. But eventually gambling was accepted as harmless entertainment. This, however, does not mean that gambling was legalized and accepted in all countries.
Viva Las Vegas
For a long time now, gambling has been directly associated with the city of Las Vegas. Founded in 1905 as a stopover for trains traveling between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, Las Vegas became the host for underground casino activities. In 1931 casinos were finally legalized in Las Vegas, more people moved to the city, Las Vegas prospered and has since been known as the sin city. The Casinos of Las Vegas has made the city famous around the world. Even the Las Vegas sign is famous and has been depicted in so many movies that it is recognizable even across the globe.
The future of gambling
Today, gambling is as popular as ever. Young people in particular are enjoying gambling online. The gambling industry is always changing and evolving. Lately, the online casinos have had to adapt to the growing interest in cryptocurrency. This have opened the doors to a new and exciting future, where people are gambling online using cryptocurrency.
