People have gambled since the early days, and even as far back as 500BC, the Greeks were rolling dice, and although the history of gambling is somewhat shrouded in mystery, there is evidence of early betting in all societies around the world. The Romans loved to gamble on just about anything, and in fact, gambling was made illegal and the penalty for gambling was a heavy fine, and this is where chips first evolved, as once there is no money on the table, they were able to skirt around the law.
Games of Chance
Many sports were the basis for gambling, including horseracing, of course, and any type of race where the outcome was uncertain could be used to place bets. In some countries, gambling was perfectly legal, while other rulers saw it as a negative aspect of society and did what they could to discourage the practice.
Roulette
This classic game of chance was invented in Paris and its popularity quickly grew, with Monte Carlo casinos incorporating the roulette wheel into their repertoire.
Casinos
These establishments emerged in Italy in the early 17th century, with the Ridotto being the first legal establishment for a range of card games, which was built in Venice in 1638. It wasn’t until the 19th century that casinos began to sprout across Europe, and around the same time, small gambling houses were springing up across America. Of course, casinos have come an awful long way since then, with online casinos offering the player unlimited options, and with mobile device access, anyone can play, as long as they are aged 18 or over. If you would like to locate the best online casino, there are useful online casino review sites, and they can really save you a lot of time by pointing out the better sites.
The Internet
The World Wide Web has changed our lives in many ways, and it quickly became a platform for the virtual casino. 1994 saw the very first virtual casino, which was pioneered by Playtech, and since that time, there are now more than one thousand registered online casinos, and to be sure to visit the best places, check out some of the free to use review sites that can be very helpful to the online gamer.
Mobile Devices
There was a time when you required a large desktop computer to access the Internet, but with the astounding pace of hardware and software development, it didn’t take long for the smartphone to arrive. Today, billions of users worldwide log on with their smartphones, and online casinos are mostly mobile friendly, allowing the player to log in from any location and play their favourite games.
The online gaming industry is massive today, and there are no signs of this easing up, and with more and more players from all walks of life, all looking to become overnight millionaires, there is a great deal of excitement to be enjoyed playing in online casinos.
