A Brief History of Gambling: How People Started Gambling - Addiction Rehab Toronto (2024)

To understand gambling addiction, let’s take at how people started gambling. Humanity’s history is inseparably related to gambling history. It seems that no matter how far back in time you go, there is evidence that gambling was likely to have occurred in which groups of people gathered together.

We won’t be going to attempt to trace each twist and turn about the development of gambling in this post. What we’re trying to accomplish is to point out some of the critical points to count as milestones on the journey to today’s gambling knowledge.

Related article:What are the Dangers of Gambling Addiction?

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Gambling’s Earliest Evidence

Based on the books of history, gambling is known throughout the history of humankind. The earliest time of when and how people started gambling was mentioned in the first-ever form of gaming that came from Ancient China. Basing from the Chinese book “Book Of Songs,” which refers to a wood drawing, suggesting that the tiles may have become a component of a lottery game.

History has also had records of a Chinese using items as funds for financing government projects in 200 B.C. The thing was called Keno Slips. Numerous researchers have also concurred that the very first game of cards appeared in China in the 19th century. The rules of the gambling game got lost in history along with all of the guidelines on playing it.

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Rolling The Dice For A Game Of Chance

Dices, claimed by the Greek poet Sophocles, was created by a mythical hero during the historic siege of Troy. Sophocles’ writings first mentioned Dice and how people started gambling around 500 B.C. in Greek history. However, researchers found out that there are pieces of evidence that a pair of Dice in an Egyptian tomb from 3000 B.C.

Romans and Ancient Greeks have been known to love the idea of playing a game with nothing but personal belongings as wagers. However, all forms of play that involve gambling, which includes dice, were forbidden within the city of Rome. People in Rome who get caught gambling paid a hefty price of quadrupling their wagers.

Two-Player Card Game, Baccarat

One of the earliest gambling game ever made that is still currently played in casinos is a card game called Baccarat. First mentioned in history in the 1400s, the rules were that each player must hold two or three cards. The winner is determined by having the highest remainder when their total cards are divided by ten. It is how people started gambling using cards.

Blackjack Throughout History

Some researchers are speculating that there was an early variation of the blackjack that we know today. Blackjack was a game that originated in Spain, and the game is called Ventiuna, translated as the number twenty one. It is certain that the game Ventiuna was the early version of the game we know now from the seventeenth century.

Blackjack was an innovation of America, and it was specially connected to promotional casinos in Nevada back in the 1930s. To attract more potential players to the game, they made the game to have a 1 to 10 odds for each player. The player will only win if they have an Ace of Spades together with a black Jack of Clubs or Spades, hence the name BlackJack.

Paris’ Little Wheel

The game originated at gaming houses in Paris. The gambling game called Roulette as we all are familiar today is similar to the American Roulette wheel. However, it took roughly fifty years before the game was polished to the one we know today. It had only a single zero on the Roulette, in which for generations roulette players are thankful.

The gambling game called Roulette grew in popularity during the 19th century. With the famously known casino, Monte Carlo, adopting the latest version of the game and it spread throughout Europe. However, Americans are still sticking to the kind of the game which has the original dual zero on the wheels instead of just one.

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How The Poker Face Originated

It is complicated to pinpoint the exact moment that Poker originated. It probably cultivated from decades or even centuries of different kinds of card games. There are even versions of the gambling game from as early as the seventeenth century in Persia. However, others are saying that a French game called Poque inspired the game.

The game’s popularity was rather slow until the world poker tournaments in Vegas began in the 1970s. However, the introduction of online poker and Television festivities allowed viewers to perceive their hands. Anyone can be millionaires in online Poker just like the amateur, Chris Moneymaker, who got qualified and won the World Poker Championship Online back in 2003.

The Tricky Slot Machines

One of Ms. Sittman & Pitt’s developments in New York, who used 52 cards on drum reels to make a game of chance similar to a Poker game. The first gambling machine is a version to the game’s early developments to resemble the slots we know today.

Gambling Going Mobile

Every since the state of New Jersey made online gambling legal back in 2011, the people’s interest in gambling games online exploded. Now in America, they are trying to move towards having gambling games legal state by state. At the same time, they are experiencing an accelerated rise in mobile gaming.

Users of the internet are now slowly steering away from their big chunky desktops to an easy-to-carry handheld device. However, this is also true for online gambling games allowing users to enjoy their games while on the move.

Related article:Gambling Addiction: How to Know if You’re a Gambling Addict?

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Takeaway

When it comes to the world of gambling, it is hard to anticipate what is going to be the next innovation as technology is modernizing how it is played. However, as we uncover the origins of all the gambling games ever played and how people started gambling, gambling creators are now trying to go back to its roots.

Currently, as we are already in a generation of technology dependency, the focus as of the moment is the mobile gaming market. Having casinos online with gambling games can increase profit and add convenience to the gamblers.

Due to the innovations of technology, you can now play a game of Poker with your friends regardless of the time and location. It is also the top reason why gambling addiction is more prevalent now more than ever.

For gambling addiction concerns, please call Addiction Rehab Toronto now!

A Brief History of Gambling: How People Started Gambling - Addiction Rehab Toronto (2024)

FAQs

What is the history and origin of gambling? ›

History. Gambling dates back at least to the Paleolithic period, before written history. In Mesopotamia the earliest six-sided dice date to about 3000 BCE. However, they were based on astragali dating back thousands of years earlier.

Who is the first person to start gambling? ›

One of the earliest known mentions of gambling is from ancient China, when players participated in a game using wooden tiles. Gambling was also a part of life in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Japan.

What percent of gambling addicts recover? ›

FAQs About Gambling Addiction Recovery

Unfortunately, few gambling addicts seek professional help, and research on gambling disorder recovery rate is lacking. The recovery organization Gamblers Anonymous has reported that 50–70% of its attendees experience sustained recovery.

What is the success rate of gambling therapy? ›

GambleAware has today published the National Gambling Treatment Service (NGTS) Annual Statistics for 2020/21, which saw most (92%) people who completed their scheduled treatment improve their condition through a reduction to their Problem Gambling Severity Index score.

What is the earliest history of gambling? ›

The earliest evidence that we can find of gambling behaviors is in China. Chinese employed titles as gambling games which were dependent on chance around the 3 millennium before Christ, and Greeks would use dice to pass for the first time.

When did gambling become an addiction? ›

Gambling problems, previously called pathological gambling, were considered an impulse control disorder until 2013, when the DSM-5 classified them as an addictive disorder.

What does the Bible say about gambling? ›

Although there are some who experience gambling as something rewarding and fun, it tends toward being highly addictive and potentially ruinous. The Bible doesn't call gambling a sin as such, although the Bible warns against the love of money and get-rich-quick schemes.

What is the root of gambling? ›

The origin of gambling is considered to be divinatory: by casting marked sticks and other objects and interpreting the outcome, man sought knowledge of the future and the intentions of the gods. From this it was a very short step to betting on the outcome of the throws.

Is it a sin to gamble according to the Bible? ›

The Bible does not specifically condemn gambling, betting, or the lottery . The Bible does warn us, however, to stay away from the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10 ; Hebrews 13:5 ). Scripture also encourages us to stay away from attempts to “get rich quick” (Proverbs 13:11 ; 23:5 ; Ecclesiastes 5:10 ).

Why do gambling addicts like to lose? ›

Moreover, research finds that losing can trigger a release of dopamine to almost the same extent as winning, which is why you may stay in the casino after dropping a few hands. Your body also produces adrenalin and pleasurable endorphins throughout the win/lose gambling cycle.

What nationality gambles the most? ›

Top 5 Nations That Gamble the Most
  1. Macau, China.
  2. Australia. ...
  3. Singapore. ...
  4. United States. The United States doesn't do things by halves, especially when it comes to gambling. ...
  5. United Kingdom. Britain's gambling saga goes way back to the times of jousting tournaments and queens with a penchant for a bit of a flutter. ...
Oct 21, 2023

Who is more likely to get addicted to gambling? ›

People who tend to be restless, easily bored, extremely hard-working, or very competitive may be at greater risk of developing gambling disorder.

How much does the average gambling addict lose? ›

The average debt generated by a man addicted to gambling is between $55,000 and $90,000. Women gamblers average $15,000 of debt. In extreme cases, problem gambling can result in serious legal problems or financial ruin. More than 20% of compulsive gamblers end up filing for bankruptcy because of gambling losses.

Do professional gamblers make a lot of money? ›

As of Apr 6, 2024, the average hourly pay for a Professional Gambler in the United States is $16.76 an hour.

Has there ever been a successful gambler? ›

One of the most legendary high rollers of all time is Archie Karas, a Greek-American gambler who is best known for his incredible hot streak in the early 1990s. Karas famously turned $50 into $40 million in just three years, using a combination of poker, pool, and baccarat to win big.

How did gambling start in America? ›

The first recorded instance of gambling in the United States dates back to 1665, when settlers in Jamestown, Virginia, held a lottery to raise funds for their colony. From then on, gambling spread throughout the country and was embraced by many different cultures and groups.

Where did sports gambling originate? ›

Betting on sports took place during the ancient Olympic Games, around 800 to 700 BC (“Sports Betting History,” n.d.). In ancient Rome, betting on games and races was commonplace.

What was the purpose of gambling? ›

Gambling is the act of wagering or betting money or something of value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the intent to win more money or things of value than was wagered. Gambling involves risking something of value, including money, for the chance of winning more than you risked.

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