History of Casinos: A Look Back on Gambling’s Rich Past

The gaming world started quite a few Centuries ago and is attributed to the Chinese, who, in the late 1600s, were seen trading and betting on pebbles as they guarded cities. This evolved and became the first known Keno board where soldiers would mark different positions and throw stones to see if they could hit one of the positions, and winners would earn food or money. Playing cards are even older and attributed to the late 1300s when paper cards with images of the King and his consorts were exchanged, and games were created for them. Only a few centuries later, playing cards became one of the leading tools used for gambling in bars, coffee houses, and saloons. From Italy through to America, cards were used in poker games, and then other games were created, such as Baccarat and Blackjack. It is within human nature to aim to be the first and be competitive, and the games soon turned into betting forums where players would bet funds and exchange belongings when they won. For many years card games were the only gambling games offered until dice were incorporated into betting forums. Soldiers in China and worldwide would throw the wooden dice with carved positions onto a mat and bet on the outcome. Hence Craps were invented. All these games are still played today in one form or another, known as table games.

The Evolution of Slots Through the Centuries

In the late 1800s, the first slots game was created. Starting with three rotating drums that held different positions, with one position in each drum having a window, Charles Fey created a game still played today in many forms and has expanded to offer multiple reels, multiple winning ways, group payouts, and even progressive jackpots. The original game was called the Liberty Bell because a winning payout was given for three bells, but it was not patented. And many companies soon coped with the game and created further options, more varied games, and games with more symbols. The original slots were mechanical until 1964 when the first electromechanical game was invested by Bally, and from then on, the world of slots opened up and expanded with video slots entering the market in 1976, online slots in 1994, and mobile slots in 2004. Since then, online and mobile gaming has grown into a multi-million dollar industry worldwide, offering every possible style, games with multiple themes, progressive jackpot options, and games with interactive choices. In the past five to ten years, Live Casino games have entered the market, offering real money options in real time fed to players through live video feeds. And the latest trend is social gaming, in which players can enjoy many different games without spending any money and can also be eligible to win prizes and financial benefits.