Gaming has been a form of entertainment for humans for almost as long as history was recorded. There’s a lot of evidence which suggests gaming first began in China around 2300 B.C., with early dice games and board games both having been found that date back to the era.
Interestingly, gaming has even been used to avert war and decide which ruler has a claim over territory. Back in 1000 A.D., Norway’s then monarch King Olaf was in disagreement with King Olaf of Sweden over who should rule the District of Hising. It’s said that the two kings agreed to prevent war and settle their dispute with the roll of two dice. Sweden’s King Olaf managed to roll two sixes to successfully claim the territory, and his opponent conceded.
Much like in today’s modern society, some ancient gamers had a problem with addiction in the Middle Ages. Indeed, some countries ended up banning certain types of games in their armies, because soldiers spent so much time playing games that they didn’t carry out their duties properly.
Playing cards are said to originate in China. The Chinese were the first to create paper, and later on they introduced paper money as well. It wasn’t long until the Chinese invented paper cards too, and this led to the development of card games that would eventually become popular all over the world.
The modern deck of cards we know today came about when cards reached the Mediterranean from China. Someone had the bright idea of distinguishing the cards according to the royal ranks of noblemen. Later, the French altered the cards by withdrawing one of the men and introducing a queen into the deck.
Gambling eventually reached the United States, and it was in Cincinnati that the first gaming houses were established. These houses were set up by refugees who would take a ten percent cut on the proceeds of each game, which is why they ended up being called 10 Percent Houses.
The state of Nevada actually made it a felony offense to operate gambling houses in 1910, however legislators later saw the enormous profit potential of gaming, and legalized it in 1931. The city of Las Vegas in Nevada later went on to become the biggest and most famous gambling city in the world.
With the advent of modern technologies like smartphone and the Internet, it’s now possible to play games wherever we are. We no longer have to visit casinos or gaming houses to play, because we can play in the comfort of our own homes. Numerous games can be played online, such as betting on horses and other sports, games like roulette, poker and blackjack, and even old favorites like online bingo.
If you’re interested in gaming, check for online bingo games and help carry on the evolution of gaming, one of the oldest and most enjoyable forms of entertainment that people have been playing for thousands of years.