| Casinos
have been welcoming gaming enthusiasts and holidays
makers seeking fun, relaxation and excitement for centuries;
but how did the casino come about?  Looking
back into the history books it turns out that the earliest
types of casino can be found in Italy. These early casinos
originated as county homes or cottages where people
met for parties. Certain rooms were dedicated for dancing,
listening to music and gambling. Over time these establishments
became more and more orientated towards providing an
entertaining space and also become more focused towards
the gambling side of entertainment.
By 1626, public gambling houses were legalized for
the first time and offered the public a wide range of
gambling pleasures. These places were great social spaces
for the Venetians upper classes to socialize, they also
used the “casini” to make business dealings
and hold political meetings.
Many greeted the idea of an establishment dedicated
to gambling and casinos began popping up all over Europe.
By the 1650’s many gambling establishments could
be found in spa resorts, the most auspicious was the
Spa in Belgium.
17th century gambling houses were booming and were
becoming more official and organized. The aristocracy
and bourgeoisie enjoyed spending a lot of time in casinos
and they also liked to travel. It was no surprise that
towards the latter end of the 17th century casinos were
popping up in France and England, these thriving establishments
were now catering for more and more people and were
staying open longer and longer, increasing in popularity!
Another important date in the history of casinos is
1806; this is when Napoleon officially legalized casinos.
Gambling had become a fashionable hobby for the rich
and famous and the casinos provided a safe and secure
environment to practice this popular past time. However
now the casinos were getting selective and had to curtail
the amount of visitors. This was done by only allowing
selected clientele only the young, rich and beautiful
were allowed and like many elite venues today, the casino
was the place to be seen and anyone who’s anyone
is there.
In Germany, in 1837, Casinos were declared illegal;
however out of this dramatic decision came two inventions
that would change the casino industry forever: chips
and the single zero roulette table.
The introduction of casinos would also prove to save
a country. In 1860 Monaco was experiencing severe financial
difficulties when one day a man called Francois Blanc
decided to open a casino to bring some happiness to
the people of Monaco. Three years later, a casino was
opened and quickly Monaco’s Monte Carlo became
one of the most glamorous and famous gambling places
on earth and remains so to this very day. From here
many more casinos sprouted, upping the ante offering
the wealthy tourists private gambling rooms where higher
limits were introduced and with unlimited bets.
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