The Origins of the Casino
The history of the gambling can be dated back thousands of years but when was the first casino established and is the future going strictly digital.
Prehistoric Gambling
Gambling and other games of chance have been around since the beginnings of recorded history. There are stories about Zeus, Poseidon and Hades dividing up the shared universe over a dice game and even caveman ancestors look as though they also liked to make wagers according to archaeological evidence.
Throughout recorded history it started with stories of the Chinese gambling in 2300 BC and their games using tiles were the precursor to brick 'n mortar and online casino games like Mah Jong. The Roman Empire has history of producing the world's first High Roller as their history tells tales of Caligula winning big while a true whale was King Henry VIII of England.
In Venice, Italy in 1638 one of the first European gambling houses was approved by the city but was closed in 1770 by the local government.
Legal Casino Gambling
Some of the first legal gambling hotspots were located in the new states of America on riverboats and in frontier towns until 1931 when the state of Nevada legalized gambling and Las Vegas was born. The first gambling license was given to the Northern Club followed by the Las Vegas Club and the Apache Hotel. The original casinos became bigger and flashier and slowly organized crime, which had control of the strip for many years, were driven out of the state and big companies/investors/entrepreneurs took over.
The Future of the Casino
Since the tech revolution has engulfed the world, as did online casino platforms and Poker rooms since the first ones went online in 1996 followed by a real boom to as many as 200 by 1997. There are now hundreds of online gambling sites which have become the most popular way to play and make online sports bets but land-based casinos can still be found in virtually every country in the world.
So, in terms of who invented the casino there are many different answers. We know that the first US license was given in 1931 but gambling was popular for thousands of years prior. Online and Mobile casinos are now the most popular form of gambling and only the future will tell us what's in store.
