Gambling History: The Past and Present
Gambling has been part of human activity since we have known how to rub two sticks together to make fire. Historical evidence suggest that humans have engaged in gambling activities since the days of the cave man. Cave drawings and unearthed archaeological artifacts have revealed dice-like objects and drawings of cave men involved in gambling. Writings that refer to some form of gambling were discovered in tablets uncovered in one of the pyramids in Giza, Egypt.
Gambling has also been practiced in some form or another in ancient India, Greece and Rome.
Gambling has played important roles in the shaping of history in some way or another. It was a prohibited activity in ancient Egypt, which was punishable by being sent to work in the docks, and was also considered illegal in ancient Greece. Greeks who held important government positions were often fined if they were found to have engaged in gambling.
King Henry VIII outlawed gambling among his army after discovering that they spent more time casting lots than practicing their drills and marksmanship.
Some people may not look at the activity too kindly, but to its credit gambling has been used to more practical purposes in ancient times.
Two Scandinavian nations were at odds at who the true owner of the district of Hising was, a relatively isolated area claimed by both countries.King Oslo of Norway and King Oslo of Sweden decided to resolve the matter by a die toss. On the first too the two kings both came up to with 2 sixes. However, the second toss gave the Norwegian king a seven against the Sweden sixes. The district was given to Norway and the two nations amicably parted ways, averting a potential war.
In the New World, native Americans wagered possessions and tossed a dice-like object that was painted white or black to predict the harvest or the recovery of an ill tribe member. during the revolutionary war, lotteries were used to finance the war efforts, and it is said the George Washington himself purchased the first lottery card that was part of a fundraising effort to improve the district of Columbia, and form then on other states have adopted lotteries as a way to boost the government coffers.
Riverboats and frontier towns emerged an along with them came the first casinos, and the professional gamblers and con men. Around 1830 the the people started to blame gambling for their economic troubles and so tried to push the activity to the south.
Gambling reached its height during the Gold Rush in California. In the 1800s San Francisco became the biggest gambling city in the states, and other states followed suit in promoting gambling. After some time the ill effects of gambling were soon felt due to the rapid increase of gambling activity, and states began to take actions to curb gambling. Today gambling is legalized in 80% percent of the States.