If you are a fan of gambling, you probably wondered how the first casino appeared. In this article, we will delve into this question and find out how the first casino appeared, who owns this idea, and why it was done.
There have always been gambling enthusiasts since the times of ancient Greece. Previously, people gathered in the streets and squares to play cards or dice. But times were changing and it was time to create a gambling house. What is the history of the offshoot of the first casino?
The First Casinos
The first casinos for gambling appeared in Europe in the middle of the 18th century, and then in the USA. The first official casino with a license appeared even earlier — in 1750 in Baden-Baden, where high-ranking officials and notable people of that time spent their time. In the 19th century, gambling houses began to open in Russia. At that time, the basis of gambling was games such as roulette and several card games (poker, baccarat, blackjack, etc.), which were played at the table. In the middle of the 19th century, the popularity of casinos flourished.
The privilege to open a casino in the country, according to historical sources, belonged to kings, princes, and bankers. For example, Prince Carlo III of Monaco invited Francois Blanc, the director of the famous casino in Bad Homburg, to his country for the official opening of a gambling establishment in Monaco.
Gambling establishments were often opened in resorts, which significantly increased the influx of vacationers of noble origin. As you can see, in the 18th and 19th centuries, resort holidays were inextricably linked with gambling establishments. No significant event — receptions, balls, anniversaries – could do without popular casino games. It is not surprising that it was at this time that gambling was legalized and brought large incomes to the state and owners of gambling establishments.
The Invention of the First Slot Machine
But the first slot machines appeared in the USA. American Charles Fai invented the slot machine at the end of the 19th century and made it himself in his auto repair shop. His slot machine ran on 5-cent coins. Charles gave his invention the sonorous name “Liberty Bell”. Soon he had quite a lot of customers. Charles carried out all orders for the collection of the slot machine manually.
Their slot machines Ch. Fai rented out to drinking and gaming establishments. Note that the first slot machine was a 3-disk. Each disk rotated independently of the others. The biggest prize given by Charles Fai slot machines was 10 five-cent coins. In 1907, Chicago industrialist Herbert Steefer Bell improved the mechanism of the slot machine Ch. Faia created a poker machine, which became a harbinger of the appearance of modern slot machines.
Results
In this way, casinos have already begun to form more similar to modern ones. And it was only in the 19th century that mankind saw slot machines, which very quickly gained popularity thanks to simple rules and an interesting game process. Did you know the history of the casino before that?