IndexGambling in Ancient ChinaThe Ancient Egyptian Gambling SpellThe Slot RevolutionThe history of human civilization goes hand in hand with the history of gambling, since humanity has existed, some groups of people have always gathered to gamble. Numerous pieces of evidence point to the existence of gambling in ancient times. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Gambling in Ancient China Some of the earliest material evidence of games of chance came in the form of tiles, which were excavated in China and anthropologists claimed dated to around 2300 BC and were used in ancient China as a primitive form of gambling. Some of the ancient Chinese written sources claim that a regular pastime in those times was playing board games. The game most frequently mentioned in these sources was the game Liubo. Liubo, translated as “six sticks,” was played by two players. According to descriptions of the Luibo rules found in the lost Book of Ancient Bo dated to the Jin dynasty (265–420), each player had six game pieces to move around on a square wooden board with symmetrical patterns embedded in it. Six sticks were used to determine the next move on the board. Therefore, the sticks performed the function of a nut. Common belief dates the origin of the game back to 1000 BC, while it reached its peak popularity under the Han Dynasty. Furthermore, according to many historical sources, an early form of lottery existed in China from around 200 BC, as several keno ticket-like artifacts had been discovered and dated to this period. Egypt's Ancient Gambling Spell There is much evidence to show that gambling in ancient Egypt dates back to between 3000 and 4000 BC A pair of dice has been unearthed from a tomb Egyptian dated to that time period. . Another piece of evidence that indicates the presence of gambling in ancient Egypt is the papyri found which contained inscriptions containing laws made to stop the spread of gambling in this region. The ancient Egyptians also found the entertainment value of the game by using astragali and dice for various purposes. games. One of the first known board games in ancient Egypt is Senet, which is translated as "the game of passing" and has a close resemblance to backgammon. It is believed that the ancient Egyptians used astragali and dice to communicate with the gods. They believed that the result of rolling a die could cause a celestial being to provide them with answers to their questions. Some references are made in the writings of Homer (between 8000 and 12000 BC) and in the texts of other ancient writers which indicate that games of chance were also quite important in ancient Greece. Gambling also had the “divine support of the Gods”. According to Greek mythology, Zeus, Hades and Poseidon played 'rolling the dice' to divide the Universe between them. Dice games, heads and tails, were played by various groups in ancient Greece. When playing dice, the ancient Greeks used three clay cubes. Later, in Roman times, they started playing with two dice, similar to the way the game is played today. Heads and tails was played with a shell, and later, during the Roman period, they started using coins. Ancient pieces of pottery from Greece and Rome depict bets on animal fights (including birds, chickens and dogs). The Romans were big gamblers and bet on all sorts of things despite the fact that all forms of gambling, includingdice games were prohibited in ancient times. city ​​of Rome. The authorities imposed a fine on those caught gambling. The Romans invented the first gambling chips to avoid penalties and show the guards that they did not use money. However, the casino as the only gambling establishment that included a variety of gambling options developed only in the 16th century. Gambling became a widespread trend over time for wealthy aristocrats throughout Europe. Italian aristocrats often gathered in private clubs for the wealthy known as “ridotto,” which in Italian means “retreat, place of entertainment,” and engaged in gambling for recreation and entertainment. In reality, gambling was illegal; however, government authorities did not bother to penalize him and often ignored the nobles' gambling parties. Even the poorest sections of society gambled, even if they gathered in much simpler places. The government of Venice realized that gambling could be a great source of tax revenue for its coffers and in 1638 authorized the opening of a four-story public hall. gaming hall – Il Ridotto – where people could play many different card games and order food and drinks while they played. Il Ridotto was the first gaming house in the world authorized by the government and the word casino has Italian roots. The word "casa" in Italian means "house" and the word "casino" originally referred to a small clubhouse where Italians met for social gatherings. While in theory everyone was allowed to visit the Ridotto, in reality the strict dress code and the stakes reduced the number of guests of the "Ridotto" mainly to upper class citizens. The casino was also a famous meeting place for Venetian carnival gatherings. One of the most popular games at the Ridotto was biribi, which resembled a sort of lottery game with 70 different possible outcomes. Basetta was another popular game, representing a mix of blackjack, poker and gin rummy with odds of 60/1. Later, the game was replaced by a similar game known as lighthouse, which became very popular later in the United States. Furthermore, the concept of casinos spread to Europe and, in particular, assimilated well in France, where most modern casino games originated. France has also made a significant contribution to the evolution of gambling. The first card games of chance in France date back to the 1500s. The Queen was added to card decks and the French card deck emerged as the precursor to the 52-card deck used around the world today. The lottery has also existed in France since the 16th century. The famous American Roulette also has its roots in France. The game originated in France in the 17th century, and in 1842 the Blanc brothers made it even more popular by adding a zero to the wheel to increase the house odds. Another French game, meaning twenty-one (vingt et un), was introduced to France in the 18th century and further developed into a well-known modern casino blackjack. The 19th century saw a rise in pari-mutuel betting and baccarat throughout France. Most French card games spread to nearby Brittany and from there to the United States with early immigrants from France settling along the Mississippi coast. Poker is believed to have ancient origins dating back almost 1,000 years. Some historians suggest that poker's roots can be traced to a Chinese card game of dominoes played by a 10th-century Chinese emperor; others claim that the game evolved from the Persian card game called “As Nas” around the 16th century. The similarity moreclose with the poker we know today comes from the 16th century Spanish game Primero, which was based on dealing three cards to each player and betting cards of lower value. Later, in the 17th century, the game spread to France and Germany, where it took on the names Poque and Pochen respectively. French colonists who settled in North America brought the Poque to New Orleans and Louisiana. Later, in 1834, under the influence of English-speaking settlers, the name Poque morphed into poker, and the game adopted the features of modern poker, comprising a 52-card deck and dealing five cards to each English player. Poker quickly spread throughout the world. in the United States primarily with crews of traders traveling along the Mississippi River. During the Civil War of the 1870s and 1880s, poker became part of the saloons of the Wild West frontier settlements. The game was widely played by soldiers from both the North and the South. In 1871, poker arrived in Europe with the US diplomatic delegation traveling to Great Britain. One of the United States ministers explained the rules of the game to members of Queen Victoria's court. The Slot Revolution Over time, poker evolved into various types beyond five-card draw to include Seven-Card Stud and in the 1970s Texas Hold 'em, which became the main game of the World Series of Poker, the contemporary and very renowned annual competition. The first coin-operated slot machines appeared in the United States in 1890. The first poker gaming machine was developed by the New York-based Sittman and Pitt company in 1888. It had five drums with 50 playing cards. The machine was started by manually pulling the handle. A player had to line up the suits of cards to form poker hands on the battery to get a win. The machines were placed in saloons and bars. These early machines did not have a direct payment mechanism and winnings were paid out at the bar. Usually, payments came in the form of free drinks and cigars. In 1894, Charles Fey of San Francisco invented the Card Bell machine. This machine proved to be much more practical as it was equipped with a mechanism for regulating winnings, and marked the beginning of the true era of slot machines. The Card Bell slot machines were so successful at a local saloon in San Francisco, that Frey soon opened a factory to produce more machines. In 1898 he built another model: the Liberty Bell. Its reels depicted symbols of card suits, horseshoes and bells. It was the first three-reel slot machine with automatic cash payouts. By 1909, the Liberty Bell proved so popular that in San Francisco alone the number of slot machines exceeded 3,000. This prompted Fey's competitors, such as the Mills Novelty Company of Chicago, to begin copying her product. The authorities and the church tried to ban the pervasive spread of gambling through slot machines, but Fey and his competitors continued to build machines without coin slots. Purchases and payments were handled at the saloon counter, and winnings were redeemed for drinks, cigars and chewing gum. . Soon most of the slot machine manufacturing moved to Chicago, where the Mills Novelty Company began producing fruit symbol gaming machines, marketing them as chewing gum dispensers. In 1910 all gambling in the United States was outlawed. However, during the times of Prohibition and the Great Depression, slot machines continued to advance in the United States, and nothing could stop their growing popularity. After World War II, slot machines gained popularity around the world as governments liked the prospect of,.