The origin and history of gambling

When we talk about a topic, it mostly has its own history, like everything, and gambling had to start from somewhere. In the article “The Origin and History of Gambling“, we will deal with the ancient civilizational evidence of the existence of gambling. Ancient people are known for their superstitions and customs, so it is not surprising that they were fascinated by games of chance. But when, how, and where did the first games of chance take place, and how did they evolve over the years into the games we have today? Were these games always just a way for people to pass the time and have fun, or did they have bigger consequences on human history than we think?

The origins and history of gambling go back to ancient Greece, ancient China and ancient Egypt!

The idea that gambling was popularized by modern civilizations and the emergence of technology could be false. Its presence in most ancient civilizations shows that games were used much earlier. The only difference is maybe the reason people play. Today, people play for fun and are motivated by the exclusive bonuses offered by online casinos. The history of gambling dates back to ancient Greece, ancient China and ancient Egypt, and these are the key civilizations that archaeologists have explored. The presence of gambling items in each of them shows that the act was quite widespread.

The origin and history of gambling
The origin and history of gambling

The fact is that regardless of the time, China has always cultivated a culture of gambling. At the moment, this can be seen in the explosive gambling culture in their region of Macau, and you can also find some ways of gambling in Hong Kong, but thousands of years ago. Gambling was once banned in China, but that did not stop the ancient Chinese from playing.

The origin and history of gambling lead to interesting scientific knowledge!

Over time, it was difficult to control all this, so the government gave in and legalized gambling. So, the Chinese were one of the first to see the benefits of gambling taxation and took large sums of money from their citizens in the name of taxes. Interestingly, many casino games, which we know and love today, originated in China. As the inventors of cards, variations of games such as blackjack, poker and keno originate from the ingenuity of the Chinese.

Gambling in ancient China
Gambling in ancient China

The origins and history of gambling also lead us to scientific studies that explore the remnants of Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt and contain evidence of gambling. It cannot be said with certainty that these objects were used for gambling, at first it is believed that they were used for communication with the gods. These are Astraglia, also known as bone joints, which are the forerunners of today’s cubes because they have four sides, so when they roll, they stop on one side. Astraglia made of various materials such as wood, metal and stone were found.

Origin and history of gambling - ancient Egypt
Origin and history of gambling – ancient Egypt

These objects were used in ancient times to communicate with the gods, asking questions and rolling the answer would reveal what the gods supposedly thought. But they were not used only for religious reasons, but also for various games, such as the board game Senet, which was very popular with the Egyptians and is considered to be the first known board game of this kind.

The origin and history of gambling - the game of the Senate
The origin and history of gambling – the game of the Senate

The origin and history of gambling – the Egyptian game Senet and the game Par Impar represented by the ancient Greeks and Romans!

The origins and history of gambling lead us to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who are also known for their love of hedonistic life and vices. The game that surpassed both civilizations was the game Par Impar, which is a precursor to modern types of betting on Par and Nepar. These types of bets can be found in various games, and even at roulette, there is an Even and Odd bet, that is, betting on even and odd numbers. Two players took part in the game Par Impar, one of which hides numerous objects in closed fists. Then the other player has to guess whether the item number was odd or even.

The origin and history of gambling
Couple Impar game, Online Casino Bonus

The ancient Greeks were also known as fans of dice games. They even had their own versions of what we call casinos today, special places where people could meet and gamble. Those places were secret and did not have the prestige of today’s casinos.

Ancient Greek mythology was also not immune to games of chance. In some myths, it is believed that the Universe was divided, because the gods played a game of dice, so it is thought that Hades was worse than Zeus and his brothers, and therefore he was gifted for the underworld.

Although gambling was strictly forbidden in ancient Rome, at the annual Saturnalia festival, gambling was allowed for one night. Nonetheless, many Roman civilians gambled in secret. The graffiti found in the ruins of Pompeii “I am skilled enough to win without cheating” also speaks in favor of that.

The origin and history of gambling – the appearance of the first dice games and the appearance of the first casinos!

In addition to civilians, there are reports that many Roman emperors were enthusiastic gamblers. Both Augustus and Nero were known for it, only Augustus admitted that he was not very successful. But the greatest love for gambling was shown by Emperor Commodus, who not only gambled the state coffers but also turned his royal palace into a casino.

As for modern India, the laws do not support gambling and it is seen as something wrong. At one point, however, gambling was a predominant part of ancient Indian civilization. Hindu texts from ancient times mention dice games. Gambling is not shown as an unacceptable activity, but its use as a means of fraud.

In addition to this, both the most important Indian festivals Holi and Diwali, tend to provide the most gambling activities of the year. Festivals are traditionally celebrated as a welcome to new phases, marking seasonal changes believed to bring revived wealth. It is believed that Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, is especially fond of Diwali, so people think that this is the best day for gambling. While this is easy to interpret as exploiting blessings for personal gain, there is historical evidence to suggest that gambling was also used to end disputes between two opposing factions.

Find out which slots are inspired by the themes of ancient civilizations in the article The Origin and History of Gambling!

The gambling industry has developed greatly from ancient times to the modern era. The use of technology and the advent of online games have led to the creation of fantastic gambling games. The origins and history of gambling explain how the themes of ancient Egypt, China, and ancient Greek mythology are one of the most popular, especially among slot lovers.

Slots with this theme have beautiful symbols that are perfectly displayed using superb graphics. The rich culture and extensive history of these peoples are used for fantastic casino games. You can find many slots inspired by Egyptian cultures, such as Book of Ra or Cleopatra, in online casino games. As for slots inspired by Chinese culture, take a look at our Top 5 tutorial on the subject. And in the series of jackpot slots Age of the Gods, provided by Playtech, you will find fantastic casino games inspired by Greek mythology.

Book of Ra
Book of Ra

With the article, The Origin and History of Gambling, we are reminded of some ancient civilizations and their customs. We made sure that the ancient peoples also had their games, and you play wisely for fun.  You can read our other best articles here.

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