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The Twine and the Twist in History of Gambling

Gambling is a sensitive topic among many communities worldwide. It is defined as betting money or a good on an event without the knowledge of the outcome, hoping to win as to gain more in material goods or money. Gambling has been traced to start from Europe and China, but one author states that any form of gambling could have already existed in any ancient culture. Whatever form that gambling had in the past, it all started because of the need or desire of humans. This desire for wanting more or something better opened opportunities for them to find a way to get something better at the cost of taking a chance on something valuable at hand.

A look back in history shows that religious groups like the Jewish and Catholics had opposing views on gambling. While the Jews believed that this act should be forbidden, Catholics felt that it can be done as long as there was no cheating involved in any form. Due to these opposing views, some countries have decided to implement laws to regulate gambling while the others have completely banned it. This is partially due to the fact that it has been observed that there were several social issues that arose from people gambling. Even politicians have deal with the issue of gambling and some of the authorities have banned the gambling in their countries.

Different Types of Gambling

Gambling can be of several types. Thousands years ago, as history books state, people have gambled with dice and cards. For example, during the rise of the Roman Empire, soldiers gambled over the robes of Jesus with dice. Today, they are still commonly used and associated with gambling. Below are some of the famous kinds that are commonly seen today:

  • 1. Games played at casinos. Modern games such as craps and blackjack have been traced to originate from different countries in Europe. Other lottery games such as keno started in China.
  • 2. Electronic games. The slot machines can easily be spotted as a gambling game because of its lever sticking out. Players push a button to spin the three reels in hope that the same picture will cross the board. In a casino, this is the most popular kind of game and it generates at least 70% of casino income across the United States.
  • 3. Games played outside the casino. These can be games played in anyone’s home. Some examples include mahjong, rummy, and solitaire.

Something New

Online gambling, or otherwise also known Internet gambling, started about more than a decade ago. In 1994, the Free Trade and Processing Act was passed in Antigua and Barbuda. This allowed organizations to get licensed in order to operate casinos online. The need to be transparent in order to protect players and organizations was an issue which brought about the rise of Kahnawake Gaming Commission in 1996 to issue licenses to online casinos worldwide. By 1997 and 1998, gambling online was so popular which attests to the rise of more casino rooms opening up online. H2 Gambling Capital stated that gambling online alone earned up to $21 billion in the year 2008.