The development of gambling is directly related to the history of mankind. Ever since time immemorial, humanity has been interested in games, bets and the ability to quickly earn money. Instant wins, whether by luck or skill, both then and today inspire gamblers to play and win.

People have always been curious about randomness and used it as a means of predicting the future. Almost every person in the course of history has tempted fate to make a profit.

The experts from Casino-market will help you learn about the periods of wagering evolution following the development of civilisation and culture, as well as about the most significant inventions until today.

History of Wagering: the Timeline

People have been developing gambling activities for thousands of years in different parts of the world. Betting correlates with human culture and is also one of the most exciting activities. Let’s take a look at some of the key historical milestones in the background of gambling.

Prehistory and Ancient Times

The history of wagering dates back to the time of Ancient China around 2300 BC. According to several different studies, the earliest casino games were found in Chinese civilisation. Evidence for this:

• ancient tiles made for elementary gambling;
• keno receipts, which in 200 BC were used as a kind of lottery;
• betting on animal fights and more.

The earliest wagering activities in India were popular as far back as 2000 BCE. The first game of dice was called Mahabharata, however, the origin of dice is in Ancient Mesopotamia, around 3000 BC.

The gambling of Ancient Greece and Rome is distinguished by a wide variety of wagering activities. The first mention of dice in Greek history was around 500 BC in Sophocles’s writings.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were very fond of betting and playing prehistoric lotteries. The favourite game of the common inhabitants of Rome was dice, as well as betting on sports, such as gladiator fights in the Colosseum. However, over time, almost all forms of gambling were banned in Ancient Rome and a system of fines was established.

Middle Ages

During this period of history, wagering was prohibited by various laws, but this did not prevent its development.

According to scientific research, in the 800s in China, the first playing cards were invented. They were used either as a game or a stake, resembling the modern trading cards for kids. These entertainments spread not only in Asia but also in Europe by the end of the 1300s.

Among the earliest casino games is baccarat — a two-player card game that was first played in the 1400s in Italy and later in France. Also, there is a standard version with a few changes that came from Cuba through the UK to the US and is played in casinos all over the world.

Contemporary History

In the 1600s European gambling became more socially acceptable for all classes of people and lasted two centuries.

Betting was not only part of entertainment in those days, but became an inspiration for science and knowledge. For example, The Book of Gambling by Giacomo Cardano in 1564, is considered the basis of probability theory and is created on his experience with dice. Also, gaming is associated with statistics, which today is necessary for the development of most scientific areas.

Let’s examine the main developments as the milestones of this period of casino history:

Blackjack (the 1600s). The earliest game in Europe resembling blackjack is a similar Spanish game called Trente-et-Quarante, described in the book Don Quixote in 1601. It then became ventiuna (or ventti), followed by Twenty-One and finally Blackjack. The popular French game spread to the United States along with the first settlers.

First Casinos in Italy (1638). The first gambling house Ridotto, which appeared in 1638 in Europe, became the most well-known place for betting. There were also popular casino houses known as “Casini” (meaning “house” in Italian).

Roulette (1796). The classic game was played in the gambling houses of France at the end of the 18th century. Over the next 100 years, roulette grew in popularity and a European version of the single-zero game emerged at the Monte Carlo casino.

Poker (1829). Some say the first recognisable games were seen in New Orleans in 1829, however, the entertainment did not develop until the middle of the 20th century. Only in the 1970s, the international poker tournaments began to be held in Vegas.

A slot machine (1891). The first fruit device was developed in the late 1890s in New York. The Liberty Bell of 1899 is the most popular game of the time, with an automatic payout mechanism, that started a new revolution in the gambling industry.

Gaming Today: Major Developments

Gambling in the 20th and 21st centuries is characterised by significant progress, from the first fruit machines to virtual cyber gambling. Today casinos are mostly online, but land-based legal wagering is still popular in some countries.

The key dates in the timeline of the digital casino:

• In 1994, the first virtual casino was created.
• Between 1996 and 1997, the development of gambling increased significantly, bringing in about $1 billion in annual revenue, and many new sites appeared.
• In 2003, live dealer casinos were seen on the market, which resembled a mix of traditional casinos and the virtual world.
• In 2005, many operators developed software for mobile casinos due to the popularity of smartphones in the world.
• The US began to legalise web gambling from the year of 2011. This has increased the interest of the audience. Now more and more residents from different states enjoy playing legal web gambling applications.
• The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 had a huge impact on virtual wagering. A significant number of Internet users have stayed at home and tried digital gambling entertainment to replace traditional casinos.

Wagering is a multi-billion dollar industry today, with over a thousand online casinos and millions of users worldwide. With the introduction of virtual and augmented technologies, the gambling sphere becomes even more exciting and spectacular.

The Main Things about the Development of Wagering

The history of gambling is full of great solutions for entertainment, and also has had an impact on science and culture in different countries.

Today, the mobile games market is the most popular, where various online casinos make creative and entertaining content with the introduction of modern technologies.

Games are an integral part of our society as well as our future. To make a profit from it, just contact the Casino-Market manager. We will provide a full range of services for creating an individual gambling virtual platform.