Birth of Gambling: Milestones in Its 1000-Year History

News | 27/12/2023

Gambling what a passion! Slot machines, chips, green tables and tournaments with respectable jackpots up for grabs: these are just some of the more familiar elements that help to form in our minds the most beautiful images of what is now (rightly) considered a pastime for everyone. Yes, because gambling is not only for the so-called experts but also for novices, who start from scratch when it comes to Blackjack and Baccarat.

To help them - and to help you in case you fall into this category - PASINO.ch - your Swiss online casino - takes care of these and other casino games in its blog, offering both useful tips and a helpful guide for you to read and remember. If, therefore, our minds do not struggle to process images of gambling, the same cannot be said of gambling in its origins, simply because we do not know what it is and how it evolved.

And this happens because no one talks about it, given that what matters most, especially on the Internet, is to talk about what is new in this topic, for instance by recalling how important virtual reality is, which will one day accompany all online casinos. To make up for this serious lack, we have decided to write a historically based article on gambling in its origins, which is essential to give you an idea of how we have arrived at the point where we can enjoy ourselves on the web through a few clicks from the comfort of your armchair at home.

A Significant Leap Back in Time

The earliest traces of gambling date back to 2300 BC, a time when the Chinese used simple tokens. Thanks to these «pioneer chips», they were able to develop certain games with which they could test themselves. Unfortunately, we cannot specify this statement further because the evidence we have so far is sparse and contradictory. The situation is quite different with the Egyptians around 1500 BC, who used dice to test their abilities as players and, above all, their luck.

Two of these dice were found in a sarcophagus, proving that the inhabitants of the Nile had undoubtedly developed their own form of gambling. And they were not the only ones, for the Greeks, too, as some scenes on pottery and vessels found by archaeologists show, had developed from scratch an event on which to bet. For all we know, the Greeks bet on animal fights, as did the Romans in the early years of their empire.

The latter had a penchant for games of chance, and in addition to playing dice, they spent their leisure time playing knucklebones, small cube-shaped bones that were thrown into the air and bet on their final shape when they fell to the ground. They also challenged each other to games of heads, numbers and Morra, a game of guessing the correct number of hidden, strechted fingers.

The element, or rather the object, that gave gambling its final leap forward and brought it closer to what we know today, was the card game. It first appeared in China in the 9th century; the cards that made it up were coloured and decorated with human figures, but not yet with kings and queens, which were a European invention.

From Underground Gambling Clubs to the First Casino

With the arrival of cards in Europe, the first underground gambling clubs also emerged. From the 1500s until the early 1600s, gambling was forbidden and men were forced to meet in places unknown to the authorities to play cards. This period of lawlessness, however, was short-lived, as gambling houses, places where gambling was permitted, saw the light of day in areas such as Baden-Baden and Wiesbaden in Germany and Monte Carlo.

Their evolution, which took the name of casinos, is owed to Italy and in particular Venice, where in 1638 it established «Il Ridotto», which can be considered to all intents and purposes the first casino in history, which was visited by the likes of Giacomo Casanova and Carlo Goldoni. From then on, casinos spread everywhere. The most famous ones are still there today: the one in Sanremo from 1905, the one in Campione d'Italia from 1933, and finally the one in Saint-Vincent from 1947.

What about Las Vegas?

When we think of gambling and casinos, Las Vegas inevitably comes to mind. We're sure by now you're wondering when the gambling temple par excellence was born. We at PASINO.ch certainly don't want to keep you in suspense and we'll give you the answer straight away: 1906. In 1906, John Miller built the Hotel Nevada, the first hotel-casino in Las Vegas, located at 1 Fremont Street, which would be followed a few years later by others, including Bugsy Siegel's world-famous Flamingo Hotel.

There, players could try their luck at Blackjack, Baccarat, slot machines and, of course, poker, taking advantage of a truly rich gaming offer. Certainly never as rich as the online casinos, which saw the light of day in 1994 with The Gaming Club in the state of Antigua and Barbuda.

Online Casinos

With the rise of online casinos, whose success can be dated back to the 2000s, gambling has changed completely. Today, those who want to enjoy the best slots most often opt for those on the web. Not only for the sake of convenience - a good Internet connection and a state-of-the-art device is enough and that's it - but also for the wide choice available.

Moreover, once the player has found his favourite slot, he can enjoy an immersive gaming experience thanks to the latest graphics and sound. Plus there are bonuses and various combinations that can create more twists and turns. All this you can find, experience and above all enjoy live at PASINO.ch - your Swiss online casino - which hosts not only the best slot machines of the moment but also other premium games.

If you are not familiar with what we are talking about, our tip is to check it out for yourself. You will see, once you get to know PASINO.ch in detail, you will want to return to this online casino again and again. Your Swiss online casino.