Casino

Casinos are places for gambling.

Gambling has been a part of human history for a very long time. It seems that in every society, even in ancient times, people have enjoyed games that involve luck. Famous places and times in history, like Ancient Mesopotamia, the time of the Greeks and Romans, and the eras of Napoleon in France and Queen Elizabeth in England, are known to have had gambling.^[1]

The first known place in Europe that was like a modern casino was called the Ridotto.^[2] It opened in Venice, Italy, in 1638. The government started it to control gambling, especially during the festive carnival season. It was closed in 1774 because it was thought to be causing financial problems for the wealthy people of the city.

In the United States, early places for gambling were called saloons. These saloons were important in cities like New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago, and San Francisco. In saloons, people could meet to talk, have a drink, and gamble. For a while, gambling was illegal in the US, but in 1931, Nevada made it legal again.^[3] This is where America's first legal casinos started. Later, in 1976, New Jersey also allowed gambling, making Atlantic City a major gambling destination.

There are lots of casinos in the US state of Nevada and especially next to the area of Las Vegas called the "Strip". Other places famous for their casinos are Monte Carlo in Monaco and Macau in China.^[4]

1. ↑ "Gambling - Origins, Risk, Regulation". Britannica. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
2. ↑ "History of Casinos". Frixo. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
3. ↑ "Nevada marks 90th aniversary of legal gambling". The Mob Museum. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
4. ↑ "Regulating Casino and Gambling Industry". Ministry of Home Affairs. Retrieved 2024-01-29.