When Gambling Became an Important Part of the Entertainment World

It’s a well-known fact that gambling has always been one of the favorite activities for many people across the globe. However, the fact of the matter is that gambling has been around for as long as humanity itself. There is actually plenty of evidence showing that even some of the world’s earliest civilizations enjoyed this past-time activity with almost as much passion as modern-day players do. 

That being said, it’s pretty impossible to give the answer to the question of when did gambling became so popular Online Cricket Betting ID. But what we can do instead is take a look at how gambling evolved throughout history and all the factors that made it one of the most crucial parts of the modern entertainment scene. 

The earliest traces of gambling

Believe it or not, the first-ever mention of gambling dates all the way back to Ancient China. In their “Book of Songs” there are mentions of wooden tiles that were drawn on. It is believed that these tiles were used in some type of a game of chance or a lottery game. 

What’s more, back in 200 B.C. there are mentions of so-called Keno Slips that were used to finance government projects. In 19th century China, there are also mentions of the first card game that was widely enjoyed throughout China. But sadly, the rules of this old card-based game got lost somewhere along the way. 

A Game of chance and rolling the dice

It is commonly believed that dice originated from Ancient Greece. The Greek poet, Sophocles, claimed that dice were actually created and designed by a mythical hero during the siege of Troy. And although this early mention of dice and their use in gambling dates all the way back to the 500 B.C. this wasn’t really the first-ever mention of dice.

As a matter of fact, a pair of artifacts that incredibly resemble modern-day dice was uncovered in an Ancient Egyptian tomb, dating all the way back to 3000 B.C.

However, the fact still remains that Ancient Greeks and Romans really enjoyed dice-based games, using various personal belongings as wagers. So much so, in fact, that Ancient Romans banned all sorts of gambling in the city of Rome, and everyone who was caught gambling was required to pay a sum that totaled their entire wager – quadrupled. 

Baccarat

Baccarat is a well-known and much-enjoyed game that’s still being played today in casinos across the globe. However, it is believed that this game originates all the way back to the 1400s. In this early version of Baccarat, which was played as a two-player game, each player needed to hold two or three cards in their hands. The winner of the game was the player that had the highest number when the value of their cards total is divided by 10. 

Blackjack

Another extremely entertaining card-based game that managed to stick around to present-day is Blackjack. Dating back to the 17th century, Blackjack was originally called Ventiuna (meaning 21). Knowing that a modern-day game of Blackjack – invented in Nevada in the 1930s – requires players to have an Ace of Spades together with a black Jack of Clubs or Spades in order to win, it becomes quite clear why Ventiuna is believed to be the predecessor of Blackjack.

The origins of poker

Whether people can or can’t read your poker face, you probably don’t know when poker first became popular. But don’t feel bad, as the history of gambling is still a somewhat unexplored territory. However, it is believed that modern-day poker is inspired by various card-based games that were played in different countries across the world. Some experts believe that poker was inspired by a French game Poque, while others claim that the earliest examples of poker can be traced all the way back to the 7th century Persia.

No matter which of these is true, poker as we know it today was extremely popularized in the 1970s in Las Vegas. Needless to say, once poker reached the online realm, its popularity skyrocketed, as was the case with many other casino games Cricket ID.

Slot machines

The first-ever slot machine was invented by Ms. Sittman & Pitt. This forefather of modern-day slot machines featured 52 cards attached on drum reels. The gameplay was quite similar – if not the same as it is today. Simply spin the reel and see which symbols you manage to score. Of course, modern slot machines are far more sophisticated than their early version, which is one of the reasons why they are still so popular. 

The online world and gambling going mobile

Throughout all of the previous examples, we had the opportunity to see that gambling was always a huge part of the entertainment industry. But arguably the most important and the most obvious moment when gambling really got its moment to shine is the day gambling shifted to the online world.

From the moment the first-ever online casino opened back in 1994, gambling started to significantly rise in popularity, and continued on this upward trajectory even to this day. Another significant moment in the history of gambling was when the moment gambling became mobile. With this added convenience, it’s safe to say that gambling will only continue to grow and evolve even further. 

Final thoughts

Even though there’s not a lot of written evidence regarding the history of gambling, there are still strong indicators that it has been around for quite a long time. And with all the changes it experienced over the years, it’s safe to say that gambling will only continue to be an integral part of humanity’s history as a whole.