At what point in history did gambling begin? To answer this question, we need to go back 4,000 years ago in Egyptian. Scientists believed that they had found pairs of dice there dated around 4,000 years ago. Also, 1492, during the landing of Columbus, Native Americans were making sports bets on a game’s outcome, including LaCross. If you are wondering how the history of legalizing sports betting and online gambling in the world are, you can read more in this article below.
Gambling and Betting in the Early America
Gambling in the United States began with the first English settlers in the 1600’s. Their customs included card games, which were part of their aristocratic lifestyle. But when the Puritans settled in Massachusetts Bay, they were free to create their own civilization, which included hostility to gambling. They banned the possession of games of chance, cards, and gambling tables in their communities. However, gambling took hold in different places. Many English settlers considered gambling an appropriate form of entertainment.
Gambling and Betting in the Westward Ho
In the early 1800s, taverns and roadhouses allowed card and dice games, creating the first version of casinos. As the population of the United States began to grow, casinos became more opulent. The Mississippi River was an important trade route along which merchants and businessmen drew their money. Riverboat gambling became a popular pastime and New Orleans became the gambling capital of America. Gambling establishments began to flourish there and also west of the Mississippi, as well as in Nevada. Much of the public saw gambling as a social evil, associating it with alcoholism and prostitution.
Gambling and Betting in the 20th Century
In 1910, Nevada finally closed the door on gambling, leaving betting on horse racing as the only thing legal in the United States. In 1912, Arizona and New Mexico gained statehood on the condition that gambling remained illegal. Casinos became illegal along with speakeasies. In 1931, Nevada re-legalized gambling and remained the only state until the second half of this century. Gambling flourished underground as organized crime invested heavily in Nevada and thrived by dominating off-track gambling and lottery numbers. During the 1950s, the U.S. Senate investigated organized crime’s connection to illegal gambling.
Gambling and Betting in the Modern Era
The American Gaming Association noted that we now have 832,988 slot machines spread across 1,151 casinos and racetracks in 44 countries, with many more on the way. Also, many organizations have been built to legalize gambling and betting companies. It’s to make sure that they are following certain guidelines to keep transparency and fairness. Aside from that, governments also published several laws regarding gambling. It seems that American civilization’s thirst for gaming is that of the Egyptian pharaohs.…