From
sticks and pebbles to online 3D slots - The evolution of gambling
The
history of gambling is as long as mankind. As a species we
have always gambled in various forms. Archaeologists have
discovered evidence dating back to 6000 BC that humankind
played gambling games using sticks and pebbles. Looking at
the sophisticated entertainment industry today which includes
gambling, it's hard to imagine how a good game of sticks would
be that much fun.
As
development continued through the centuries with gambling
houses appearing in the 1600s, it soon caught mathematicians'
interest in these activities. By including the use of dice
and cards, a new mathematical discipline "probability
theory" was born in attempts to analyse games of chance.
The
known casino games played in both land-based and online casinos
are also games that have evolved in step with the emergence
of casino houses. Blackjack originated in France in the 1600s
under the name of vingt-et-un, which in French means 21. After
the French Revolution the ball moved across the Atlantic to
the United States and grew very popular there. The fact is
that many of the gambling games found in the modern casinos
have their origins in Europe and China. After World War II,
one can say that Las Vegas became the epitome of modern gambling.
Casino
in your living-room
Technological developments also have considerably impacted
the gambling industry which saw the emergence of slot machines
in the 18th century to more recently home computers using
random number generators that use complex algorithms to mimic
outcomes in games of chance. Technology has broken new grounds
for gambling and is an important part of its history. This
particularly applies to one of the greatest revolutions in
gambling: the birth of the internet and emergence of online
casinos!
When
the first online casinos were introduced in the mid 1990s,
this had a radical impact on gambling. Why? Availability.
The
first casino to open its virtual doors was InterCasino in
1996. Today the online gambling industry is big money, estimated
to be worth $35 billion in 2015 with 85 countries now having
a regulated market and more countries clambering to regulate
this lucrative industry each year.
Today
anyone who wants to play has a packed casino with all the
world's games just a few keystrokes away and this has naturally
led to tremendous economic growth in the industry. We see
fresh new casinos such as LuckyCasino, Kaboo and Madame Chance
pop up all the time. Now
you can play online slots for free or real money with Guts.com.
It's always good to test the games for free before getting
your credit card out.
There
is an amazing selection of different games to choose from
today, these include action packed 5 reel slots, table games,
video poker, scratch cards and online casinos with live dealers,
all easily available to us - simply because online casinos
have no physical limitations.
Gambling's
reputation has undergone a complete transformation over the
last 300 years. First it was seen as pure sin - prohibited
and regarded as morally reprehensible. Later, these activities
were considered a kind of tolerable pleasure and reluctantly
accepted and added to special places and locations. Today
we see gambling as pure entertainment and mostly an activity
that spreads positivity around it. Gambling is promoted
publicly and widely- especially because of the online
casinos.
The
history of gambling is thus variegated and comprehensive,
and the final chapter is far from written. Advances in technology
like the recent re-introduction of virtual reality headsets
are key and we can only wait excitedly for the next big step
in gambling!