When it comes to gambling, the connection with casinos and online games is inevitable. However, it's not a contemporary phenomenon: gambling has always been a constant throughout history, with people betting for one reason or another.
What is meant by gambling?
The first traces of gambling date back to the Chinese around 2300 BC: some tiles were used for bets between various people. Even the Egyptians They gambled; in fact, dice dating back to approximately 1500 BC have been found. Defining the exact moment gambling was invented is almost impossible, but we can know with certainty when the first official casino opened. First, it's important to understand what gambling means. It's a type of game in which the for-profit and the win or loss is completely or almost completely random. It consists of betting assets, mostly money, on the outcome of a future event: traditionally, the odds are paid in cash. Generally speaking, any activity that presents uncertainty about the final result lends itself to betting. betting and therefore can be the subject of gambling. The most superstitious They associate winning with luck and losing with bad luck. Undoubtedly, gambling, besides being considered a game—and legalized, especially since the advent of casinos and, more recently, online casinos—has negative consequences, as those who overindulge in gambling risk becoming chronic gamblers, and gambling can become pathological. But let's take things one step at a time.
A question of class
Until 1638 there were no places where people, mostly men, could gather in an "official" manner to bet. There were the so-called clandestine gambling dens, where regular gamblers gathered but without a law that allowed them to bet undisturbed. The word "casino” was coined towards the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. In this period the unstoppable spread of the gambling houses, especially in continental Europe. In areas like Baden-Baden and Wiesbaden in Germany, along with the charming Monte Carlo, the construction of incredible casinos began, designed for gambling enthusiasts belonging to the upper classes of the time. These buildings were more similar to sumptuous palaces than simple places to play cards. This phenomenon can be analyzed, from a sociological point of view, as a class distinctionWhile on the one hand we see clandestine gambling dens with players from lower-class backgrounds, perhaps seeking their fortune, on the other, with the emergence of casinos, which as we well know are opulent places, we see men, and in recent years also women, gambling not only for the "pleasure" of gambling, but also to gather in a "different" context.
The birth of Las Vegas
When we talk about casinos we immediately think of the thousands of bright signs that illuminate the streets of Las VegasIt will certainly be the most famous metropolis in the world for its casinos. It all began in 1905. A group of railroad workers were laying tracks to connect Las Vegas with the Pacific Coast and other major cities in the region such as Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. The workers needed a place of recreation After work, and before anyone could even say "Who wants to play cards?", Sin City was born. Gambling, alcohol, and prostitution soon became the vices of Las Vegas, but state authorities put a stop to these licentious activities. The state of Nevada outlawed gambling from 1910 until 1931, but in an era of speakeasies and prohibition, there was no stopping the vicious cycle that had already developed. Gaming tables were set up everywhere; the important thing was that the workers relaxed after a long day at work. Considering that the city was now full of hidden places where people gambled, it was decided to legalize Gambling was once again, and definitively, a thing of the past. This legalization resulted in an exponential increase in the number of gamblers. Although the Golden Gate was the city's first legal casino, it wasn't until 1941 that a full-fledged gambling resort was built, where, in addition to gambling, there was singing and dancing: El Rancho VegasNothing was the same as before, the structure had swimming pools, riding stables and, of course, casino games. The first casino on the Las Vegas Strip offered players two blackjack tables, a craps table, a roulette wheel and about 70 slot machines and became the catalyst for the gambling boom throughout the city, which, even at the time, was defined as a city of “sin.”
A dish too greedy
Las Vegas truly began to flourish after the end of World War II, and this incredible growth did not escape the watchful eye of the most ruthless criminal organization in the United States: the Mafia. Al Capone had his eye on the city to build his casino, but failed to do so. Las Vegas was a Mafia-free zone until notorious gangster Bugsy Siegel decided to step in. So in 1946, he opened the Flamingo, a resort inspired by the glitter and glamour of Hollywood. Siegel was supported by drug dealer Meyer Lansky, a notorious West Coast gangster, who allowed him to create a hotel and casino even grander than the El Rancho. But in true Mafia fashion, when things went wrong, someone had to face the consequences. Siegel was forced to open the Flamingo early by crime bosses, rushed construction, and, to do so, stole a lot of money from the Mafia-controlled syndicate.
And when the casino ran into trouble, Siegel "paid" with his life. The Mafia ran the city and did what they thought was best for the business. It was all about money. After his assassination in 1947, Siegel's legacy in Las Vegas continued. Gangster money helped transform Las Vegas into the casino capital of the world, with the Sands, the New Frontier, and the Sahara all built after his death. The Chicago underworld had arrived in the city since the 50s and, together with the New York Mafia families, ran the entire city, which became a veritable gangster paradise. The families began fighting over shares, so it was unclear who the real owners were, but everyone had a share, and that led to only one consequence: money! Gangsters helped bring A-list stars like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley to the casinos , and by 1954, eight million tourists began flocking to Las Vegas each year to play poker and blackjack.
Welcome to the future
After a while, the criminal underworld's control over the city diminished and the unstoppable rise of mega-casinos began. In 1966, the brilliant Howard Hughes He arrived at the Desert Inn and took a strange approach to checking out. Instead of returning his keys, he decided to buy the hotel. And he didn't stop there: Hughes spent $300 million buying up some of the biggest names on the Strip, reinventing them and taking them to another level. The tide had turned: the big corporation They had taken control of the city, freeing it from dangerous gangsters. The transformation of the traditional and simple casino was incredible thanks to Hughes's grandiose ideas. The first mega resort It opened not so long ago, in 1989, at the Mirage Hotel and Casino owned by Steve Wynn, and the previous casinos were replaced. Their replacements are true architectural masterpieces inspired by the canals of Venice and the heart of ancient Rome, and attract over 40 million players eager to try their hands at blackjack and try their luck at roulette.
Dice and gladiators
The roots of blackjack are largely unknown, with several theories regarding its exact origins. Some believe it originated in 700th-century French casinos, where a game called Vingt-et-Un, a literal translation of the number 21, was played. However, some casino historians believe its origins lie in Spain. Spanish gamblers played Trentuno, a three-card version of Blackjack in which the player had to get as close to the number 31 as possible. Some believe it influenced the French game of Vingt-et-Un. But it doesn't end there. The Romans loved betting on everything from gladiatorial combat to simple dice games. In a significantly simplified version of blackjack, players were given numbered blocks and bet on the highest-valued combinations. Today, the origins of the game are still unclear, so the best thing to do is enjoy it for what it is today, without dwelling too much on its past.
Filomena Oronzo
I graduated in Sociology with a specialization in Social and Territorial Policies, and earned a master's degree in E-Government and E-Management in Public Administration. I love reading and writing. For me, sociology means experiencing everyday life in all its nuances and nuances. Today, I am an Administrative Assistant at the IRCCS Burlo Garofolo in Trieste, and above all, I am a wife and mother, the greatest asset of all.
