Casino games
Casinos are part of a romantic way of life that is often associated with gangsters, high stakes, royalty and living dangerously. Is this true today? Not really – if you look at the transformation of a lot of “casino cities” around the world – like Monte Carlo, Las Vegas, Marina Bay, Atlantic City or Macau, you’ll see popular tourist destinations with casinos being only a piece of the entertainment. Casinos have gone completely mainstream in most of these places, and are associated with huge hotel complexes, spas, luxury resorts and entertainment venues that can host professional conferences or concerts. This is a big entertainment business, and casino games are a shining cherry on top of a very large and opulent cake.
Casinos today are considered huge entertainment hubs – you can often keep entertained for days without ever placing a bet. Spa resorts, concerts, shows, unique shopping experiences, and fine dining are just some of the ways you can spend your free time while visiting a casino. Gambling in a casino, of course, part of the allure – it’s the perfect way to get the adrenaline going when you’re on vacation and want to treat yourself. Here is an overlook of the most important places throughout the history of gambling.
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Earliest history
Casinos are relatively new establishments in the history of mankind – considering that as a species, we have gambled for thousands of years, even if it’s not in a casino. The existence of the first casino is a bit disputed as some people think that the first gambling houses might have been in Rome. This isn’t actually that far from the “official” first casino. Italians seem to be the first when it comes to organized gambling – because the place that takes the crown as the first is the Casino di Venezia. It was on the Grand Canal and opened in 1638 to the delight of visiting nobility and merchants. Just think – no one has ever seen a casino before! It was all done either in people’s private homes or taverns Even then this was a popular tourist destination and a financial hub. Venice was known for its riches and the casino building was a practical palace – designed by the same architect that was also known for designing churches, and decorated by some of the most prominent artists of the time. If you’re ever in Venice, you’ll be amazed to discover that the building still stands and you can not only visit it, but take a turn at the gambling tables because it’s still a functioning casino to this day.
Las Vegas and Indian casinos in the USA
Although gambling has been illegal in many countries throughout centuries, it usually comes out on top. In the United States, for instance, it has been illegal to gamble during the prohibition – a particularly strict moment in the country’s time, when thanks to the conservative movement it was illegal to drink alcohol, and all casinos were closed. Las Vegas gained its notoriety because Nevada was the first state to make gambling legal again in 1931. This gave them a headstart as an established casino city. They were the place where the first regulated casino opened – the Pioneer Club. You may recognize it’s humongous cowboy neon sign with a moving arm – it was the symbol of Sin City for decades. The cowboy is called Vegas Vic, and he is still there although the casino ceased its operations. The casinos moved from Fremont St. to the Vegas Strip – this is where most of the hotels, resorts, and casinos most associated with Vegas can be visited today. From Mandalay Bay, Circus Circus, Ceasar’s Palace and the Venetian – today, these casinos are opulent tourist destinations and entertainment centers, nothing like the crowded and tiny Pioneer Club.
Modern Casino Palaces
No wonder – they have to get more and more competitive with better deals, better restaurants, shows, concerts, and specials – because now that gambling is popular in all but two states in one form or another, they have a lot more competitors on the casino market. Indian casinos came to the stage in the 1990s and quickly became some of the most popular and the best venues available to American gamblers. Gambling on Native American land was made possible by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, which was expanded on in the coming years. It took decades, and thousands of hours in court for Native Americans to be granted the right to regulate laws on their own lands. Because of gambling casinos, Indian communities across the United States and Canada can not only regulate their own gambling but use the proceeds from tribal casinos to invest in their local schools, training programs or medical facilities – while all casinos are for-profit, Indian casinos have a big responsibility to their local communities and tribe members.If you head to an Indian casino, remember that you’re not supporting a business but a community.
European gambling and royalty
Gambling in Europe was always considered a pastime fit for the rich – did you know that in the middle ages people below a certain social class were banned from gambling? Back then, betting sports were a lot bloodier than they are today. Dog, cock, or bullfights rarely ended well for the animals involved but were extremely popular for the onlookers.
Cards were also popular amongst royalty and there is no record of them being played by “commoners” – the reason being that cards were extremely expensive. Hand-painted and never mass-produced before the invention of the printing press, playing cards were often works of art. The first version of Poker was invented much later, during the reign of Elizabeth I. Of course, the lower classes played as well, but dice was much more popular – it was played with dice fashioned out of pork knuckles.
Gambling for Politics
Gambling was later used as a form of income for the government – this was introduced in France by Francis I in 1539. He introduced a rudimentary form of national lottery that would pay into the national treasury of France. Of course, Louis XIV had to keep his nobles in check at his residence in Versaille. He built the palace which was then considered the middle of nowhere, and any nobleman who wanted to be in the good graces of the Sun King had to live here. Gambling games were not only played for large sums of real money but were the most popular form of entertainment in the palace of Versailles for decades. They played out of boredom, and to show off their financial status amongst fellow nobles. They did not gamble to “win big” – they gambled to show off. This can be said for a lot of wealthy people who gamble today – some things never change!
Online Casino Games
Online casino games became popular as soon as the internet started to function. The first games to become all the rage online were card games. This is because of their simplicity. Remember that the internet used to be extremely slow, and couldn’t handle fancy graphics. In fact, things like live streaming casino games are a relative novelty. They require a fast connection and top of the line hardware and software. As technology progressed, these games did too. InterCasino was the world’s first online casino, and it was established in 1996. May we remind the venerable amongst us that 1996 was also the year that the messaging service ICQ was launched. This was prime time for some choppy graphics, slow connections, and lag – but since gambling is always at the forefront of human advancement (and probably always will be) people saw this as the perfect opportunity to experiment with new ways of wagering without leaving their houses. Of course, you could place your bets over the phone, but the internet made it a lot more convenient, anonymous and visual.
Slot games
Remember that slots were “with us” for about 200 years now. From the times of the California Gold Rush, it was one of the simplest and most entertaining games to play. There is something to be said about being able to “gamble by yourself” and to play a gambling game without getting a dealer or other players involved. No wonder they evolve into what they are now – they are amazingly entertaining, have gripping storylines, fantastic gameplay and some of the most creative and lucrative bonuses in casino game history!
Slot games are everywhere -whether you wander into a real brick-and-mortar casino, or if you come into an online casino. They are the most popular online casino games you can find! Huge jackpots, fun bonuses, and thrilling entertainment value. If you’re new to online casino games, you should give slots a try!
Poker
Poker is a casino game with a reputation. It’s the game of Old Wild West saloons, cowboys, seedy playing dens with gangsters, posh movies and VIP rooms. Everyone knows about Poker. Even if you don’t know how to play it or any of the rules, you are probably familiar with the “poker look” – the furrowed eyebrows, the thinking, the strategy – and the attempts to keep your emotions secret. What is poker all about when it comes to playing in a brick-and-mortar or an online casino?
Poker is actually relatively easy to learn, and it’s very fun to play in an online casino. The whole point is to have the best poker hand – and the finesse comes in when you are able to convince your opponents that you have a better hand than they are – even though you might not. In this case, they fold and you win, even if they had a better hand.
How do you “bluff” in an online casino? Bluffing in online poker isn’t the same as bluffing in live poker – and unless we can play with intricate holograms, it might never be. A sure way to tell a newcomer is to see if a player is chatting a lot about bad luck but actually raising their bets – online poker isn’t as face-to-face, even if it’s a live game and your “bluffs” are more transparent. Online poker became a much quieter casino game than it started out as.
Craps
Craps is the most famous game of dice that you can play for real money – online or life. If you have ever wondered into a real casino, you’ll know a craps table when you use one. Past all the slot machines, you’ll see big tables with the tall-tale green lining. It’s the same for any gambling table.
The craps table is divided into two halves – they’re both exactly the same, and they’re there so multiple people can play at one table. The dealer will brandish a hooked stick – it’s for ease of moving chips and dice across the table. The dealer will pass you 5 dice – and this being a game of luck, you get to pick your 2 lucky dice that you feel good rolling. At this point – make your bet and roll your dice. Put your betting chips on the PASS LINE. There are a lot of other rules involved, and make sure to check them out here in our Craps guide. It’s one of the funniest table games out there, and we’re super excited that it’s now possible to play it live in an online casino.
If you don’t have the time for a long read, here is a great video that you can watch how to play craps like a pro – and once you know how to play it in a “live” casino, playing it in an online casino will be a breeze.
TRIVIA: Why are Card Tables Green?
It’s a tradition! But aside from that, there are many theories why poker, blackjack, craps and all gaming tables, in general, are the same green color of baize (fuzzy fabric). One theory is that because of the texture, it’s easier to slide the cards across. It has a better grip and keeps the cards where you put them. Another theory is that because it’s practically the same baize that is used for pool or snooker tables, it was easy to pretend you’re not playing poker at all when the law came knocking. This was during the prohibition of course. There’s nothing wrong with a friendly game of billiard.
Blackjack
Blackjack is the perfect game for any gambling beginner, because of the easy rules, and the ability for beginners to catch on almost immediately. The rules are simple – the dealer gives you cards, and the total for these cards has to come as close to 21 as you can possibly get it. Of course, if the dealer gets closer to 21 than you, you lose. So really, the point here is to beat the dealer. If you get more than 21, you lose. That’s it! Of course, there are more rules to this game and much more finesse. But these basics are a great starting point. If you sign up for an online casino, you will get free cash even if you don’t make a deposit. this is a great chance to play casino games for free, without spending any real money. It’s an ideal opportunity to learn about casino games and to quickly find something you want to pursue more.
Bingo
Bingo is easy and popular – the idea of bingo is used in just about any industry, for fun. In online bingo, it’s all about picking numbers, whereas in bingo for fun, the numbers are usually substituted with symbols, ideas or items. For example, something that’s called “Exercise Bingo” might include different types of exercises in each square, and when you complete them so that you “win” the bingo card, you can treat yourself to a reward. Like a spa day, or a dinner at your favorite restaurant. So you see, in certain scenarios, bingo can be very motivating.
Like most gambling games, bingo got its start in Italy. The first version of what we look at as modern-day bingo was played as long ago as the sixteenth century and was a lottery game – “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia”. The game migrated throughout all of Europe and settled in the United States, where it’s famous for entertaining seniors and being a very socially acceptable form of gambling. Almost any online casino you find will have a few bingo options, and aside from being one of the easiest casino games, it’s one of the most fun and enthralling.
Roulette
If there’s a casino game that is stylish, entertaining and associated with the high rollers and the VIPs, it’s definitely roulette. It’s like a supermodel amongst casino games – the beautiful wheel, the dressed-up dealers, and a lucrative movie career. Roulette has been in more movies than we can count, and when you see it, there is always bound to be a lot of excitement. Online roulette is even more amazing than real-life roulette because there are a lot of special effects added. You can interact with a live dealer like you would in a brick-and-mortar casino, but it’s made a lot easier on you because of on-screen prompts. Playing online roulette for real money is much less stressful than playing in person, especially for beginners. Try out this queen amongst table casino games! Take a look at our roulette playing guide here.
Baccarat
Ah, baccarat. There aren’t many casino games that are more elusive and misunderstood. Baccarat was very long considered the royalty of table games – it was long enjoyed by only the high rollers of high society. Today, the largest baccarat tables are in large and luxurious casinos, while most smaller casinos stick to less populous games – this may mean the difference between 14 players and 8 players! Either way, it’s a great casino game to play when you’re out with a group of friends and looking for a thrilling game that has a lot of excitement and social value – and almost no decisions to make. The point is to come as close to 9 as possible, and the cards are drawn for you. As opposed to most card table games the strategy is left up to chance and to the rules of the game. The rules tell you when to draw and when not to draw another card, depending on what cards you have. A real-life casino will usually have a notecard with extensive rules.You can’t go against the rules – this is the perfect game to play if you believe in chance and feel lucky. In a way, this game is already decided when the cards are shuffled into the shoe. (But really, aren’t all casino games?)
What is Gambling
What is gambling anyway? We know that people gamble on everything, even if they don’t think they’re gambling. You gamble every time you leave your house or make an important life or business decision. Gambling is making a decision and hoping it will work out in your favor.
As far as gambling for money is concerned – putting down a wager and winning if things do work out in your favor, did you know that the earliest proof of gambling that’s been found is a six-sided dice that dates back over 5,000 years? It was found in the fertile crescent. Dice were played in the Roman times and in medieval Europe as well – they were used not only for gambling but also to tell fortunes.
Online Casinos FAQs
How can I win a casino game?
How do you beat the house edge? Know when to walk away – most people don’t play to win big. They play for entertainment, and the mathematical odds show that if you keep on playing millions of times, you will get around 97% percent of your money back. This is the Return to Player Rate – but before this average plays out, you have a lot of chances to win along the way.
