Technological breakthroughs in the Middle Ages diversified the range of gambling type games available and also made it easier for the common man to have access to them. In the 15th Century the invention of the press made printing playing cards easy so that even those less fortunate could afford a deck.
The French brought their contribution to modern gambling with the design of the Queen on the deck of cards that still remains to this day and the design of the roulette. There is a lot of controversy around the roulette. Some say it was invented by the Chinese and brought to Europe later one while others claim it was invented in the 17th century by a famous mathematician.
There is even more controversy surrounding the origins of modern day poker. Some say it evolved from an old German card game called Pochen (which means to bluff) others say it evolved from the French game of Poque. Furthermore, some insist that it comes from a Persian game called As Nas. Whichever it was, we're glad it did evolve and we can enjoy it today in its finest form.
The term Casino comes from Italy and it was originally used to describe a house or villa where parties were held, where singing, dancing and gambling took place. No doubt the Italians always had a taste for life. However, it was in America that the Casinos thrived.
The first colonies liked to take a chance every once in a while. Because card and dice games were already well established, this was not difficult. Also it is believed that horse racing and horse betting initiated on the soils of the United States. Because the colonies needed to raise money for buildings and infrastructure, they created lottery type games and these games funded all the needs of the people back then. The U.S. have undergone various stages of legal gambling, then illegal gambling but tolerated and stages of strict illegal gambling.
Before the Casinos there were the Saloons, that is, special places for gamblers to play illegal games far away from nosy eyes, sometimes even on luxurious boats that sailed along the Mississippi. Casinos today are heavily regulated for the safety of our people and special hotlines such as Gamblers Anonymous are providing help for those out there who might suffer from an addiction so that the rest of the population can still enjoy playing these wonderful games without any risk.
