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The First Legitimate Casino Founders
As you read statements from casinos like the Wild Fortune bonus terms, perhaps you cannot help but think about who the first legitimate casino founders were. Sadly, the precise origin of gambling is not known. There is also no official record of the first gambling house that a government duly recognized.
Despite that, we will take a look at the rich history of casinos. We will attempt to uncover much of what records and anecdotes have to say.
Ancient Times
Gambling was present in ancient times, and there are artifacts that archaeologists have found to prove this. There are existing prototypes of dice that were created several thousand years BCE. These dice were said to be items used in fortune-telling and magic rituals. Later on, people used it for gambling.
Then, in ancient Rome, around the 6th century BCE, the citizens created what they called Circus. It was a public place where people would gather and play craps - they placed bets, and if they were lucky, they won money.
The First Casino
The first casino began in Europe, and historians claim it opened in Venice in 1638. There is no record of who the founders were. The casino's name was Il Ridotto. The word "casino" came from the Italian language, meaning small house.
At that time, casinos operated in private houses, not public saloons. It was rather a party where there were dancers and singers. The patrons who went there received drinks and meals, and the main purpose of these houses was to provide different types of entertainment.
These ancient casinos were not for everybody - they were only for privileged people, and the wagers were huge. Although these casinos were private, there were rules that people followed, as shown below:
There was a dress code
There were rules about behavior
Players had to order food from the menu.
Il Ridotto was a government-approved gambling house. The business establishment paid taxes, but the Church was against it. As such, gambling became illegal. It was because of this that the casino eventually closed.
Casinos in the 1700s
The Church got heavily involved in the government in the past. Pastors and priests also denounced gambling in their sermons. However, this did not stop people from gambling, and illegal gambling spread rapidly in Europe, particularly Italy.
In 1765, a casino opened in Paris, France. It was a catholic cardinal who wanted to replenish the state’s coffers with tax money, and he looked at casino businesses to do it. The casino that opened in Paris had a novelty game that many people had never seen before. This game was roulette. Roulette quickly became a hit and attracted a large number of players.
A lot of casinos opened at the beginning of the 18th century, and they spread in Europe. The prizes also increased, and gamblers found a way to get entertained.
Present Day
Casinos eventually became legal in some jurisdictions. Many states assigned specific cities as a hub for casino operations. As such, places like Monaco, Macau, Reno, and Las Vegas became huge casino spots and gained global popularity.
Despite the popularity of casinos, not all countries approve of them. For example, any kind of casino is illegal in mainland China.
Online Casinos
The advent of the internet changed human lives. It was back in 1994 when Antigua and Barbuda created and passed the Free Trade & Processing Act. This act allowed the government to issue licenses to companies to operate casinos Vegas online.
Before the proliferation of online casinos that we know today, the very first gambling software came from Microgaming. This company was based in the Isle of Man, and it worked with another company called CryptoLogic, which specialized in security software programs.
Upon the development of this program, they knew that transactions were safe, and it paved the way for other companies to develop and operate online casinos.
In 1996, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission issued licenses to online casinos and online poker rooms. By this year, there were only 15 online casinos worldwide. However, it increased by 200 by 1997. By 1999, the US introduced the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.
This bill meant that no online gambling product could be offered to any US citizen. However, the bill did not pass. It was in the same year that people released multiplayer online casinos.
By 2016, the gambling market is estimated to reach $45 billion. There are different takes on online gambling, with some countries against it and some countries okay with it. Despite the differences, there is a proliferation of online casinos today.
It seems that no one is stopping it because there is such a wide demand. What many countries are doing now is finding ways to curb or help control gambling and also to find ways to help people with gambling problems.
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