A Little History of Gambling
As a gambling site, it behoves us to know a little about the history of gambling. We’ll be writing gambling-related trivia articles here and there as we encounter topics we find interesting and want to share with you. And what’s more appropriate than beginning with a history of gambling.
Where did it all begin?
If we want to go all the way back, it began in the Stone Age. Literally. Homo sapiens is a social animal. We like telling stories. We like playing games. We like competing as well.
Gambling combines two out of three.
Evidence of games dates back to the Palaeolithic period. That’s before historic accounts were written down, of course. But the findings at archaeological sites indicate some form of gambling. It sure didn’t just disappear.
We’ve found ‘astragali’ that are thousands of years old. Those are marked ‘dice’ that were intended to predict your fortune. Throwing dice with an unknown outcome that could spell luck or disaster? Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? This is the beginning of gambling in its most basic form.
Gambling in Ancient China, Rome, Greece and Egypt
In Ancient Egypt, games were a common form of entertainment among all parts of the population. There’s plenty of evidence for that. Egyptians liked to record everything. The oldest known dice were excavated in Egypt.
Did real betting take place? Not in the way we know from the Romans or Greeks, at least.
China invented rudimentary games of chance, which were depicted on tiles. Indeed, it seems, betting on animals fighting each other was a popular form of gambling. In some cases, animals were bred solely for the purpose of fighting against each other and betting on it.
Dominoes (precursors of Pai Gow) were popular in early Chinese gambling houses in the 1st millennium BC.
In Greece, of course, major sporting events such as the Olympic games were always accompanied by gambling. The winners were honoured and received prizes. But on the sidelines, spectators were placing bets on their favourites, losing everything or winning huge.
It wasn’t much different in Rome, were ‘Panem et circenses’ were an important part of the culture. Of course, bets were placed on which tiger would kill the gladiator or which gladiator would remain standing at the end of a fight.
Romans played dice, board games, had chariot races and all kinds of other games. There was no shortage of entertainment that people would bet on. And even then, it was possible to lose everything and bet yourself straight into slavery.
The emergence of probability
In ancient times, gambling was viewed as nothing but a game of chance. Nobody had a clue about probability or other mathematical aspects of gambling. The Greek might have figured it out, but we have no evidence that they were interested in it.
So, the mathematicians of the Renaissance had the honour of discovering probability and applying it for gambling purposes. Indeed, mathematicians in the 17th century had a penchant for competition as well and many unsolved problems were subject to challenges and their solution could result in prize money for the mathematician who solved it. In fact, this is still the case today. A number of unresolved theorems are subject to big competitions that include huge prizes for the one who manages to solve them.
Be that as it may, with the introduction of probability, gambling hit a new age of enlightenment as well. Whilst sporting competitions depend often on the form of the participants, probability in dice and card games can be calculated. An element of skill is introduced into gambling.
Regulating gambling in the past
Another interesting aspect of the history of gambling is its regulation. Throughout many centuries, gambling wasn’t state-regulated. It was not accessible to everyone and often a pastime for the so-called elites, who were the ones with the time and money at their hands to waste both away. A farmer had to be on the field and couldn’t be bothered what the owner of the land was gambling away. It probably didn’t even concern him much when his field was lost to the neighbouring lord in a bet. The new lord still needed someone to farm the land and so the farmer was still busy.
Gambling regulations were only really introduced after the Medieval Period. In some countries, including England, gambling was prohibited for a time. That may not have been enforced, but it was the law of the land.
Stricter regulations were only introduced in the 18th and especially the 19th century. Many gambling laws emerged in many countries. That never resulted in a disappearance of gambling, though. It simply shifted into grey areas.
Even the strictest gambling prohibition never managed to get rid of gambling.
Only the late 20th and early 21st have seen proper regulations introduced that often legalise gambling in most of its forms, handing out licenses and taxing gambling operators as well as enforcing those regulations. Whilst gambling is not legal everywhere yet, the overall tendency seems to go towards regulation than away from it.
Modern times
Nowadays, gambling is no longer just a game of chance. Even the probability of winning in a lottery can be exactly calculated. Whilst it is incredibly unlikely to win the jackpot, someone always does. The probability that someone will win the jackpot increases to 100% at some point. That you are the one who will win it remains at 1:95 million or thereabouts, depending on which lottery you’re playing.
Still, more skill is involved in other gambling ventures and even sports betting can involve a lot of skill beyond considering form or whether a player plays better on grass or gravel. If you know what value is, you know whether a bet might be beneficial or not. Calculating odds or considering the house edge are all important things to know when placing bets.
We’re no longer at the mercy of just chance. Of course, you increase your chances by playing multiple lottery tickets instead of just one.
These days, your biggest issue with gambling might be whether or not it is legal in your country. Of course, problematic gambling behaviour is also a problem that should never be underestimated. As we’ve seen, that is also as old as gambling itself.
Much more could be said about the history of gambling. We just wanted to give you a little overview. But do let us know if you want to know more and we’ll do the research and add another article on the subject.