Once upon a time, a casino was not a pleasant place to be at all. It was seen as a wicked place by many, and gambling itself seen as a sin. And then, things changed. It was a sudden change rather than a gradual one, and for the most part it was helped by the glitz and glamour that places such as Monte Carlo and Las Vegas were able to bring. Thanks to the appealing offers of promotions and bonuses, players keep coming!
Casinos really began their life in the 1600s in Italy. In Venice, to be precise. The first was created to be part of the famous carnival there. It was intended to bring in some extra revenue when there were so many visitors in town, but it proved so popular that it remained. Over the next few years, more casinos sprung up – although not as many as you might think. And of course, they were exclusive. Very exclusive. Women weren’t allowed at all, and the men who could afford to go had to wear full evening attire.
The games consisted mostly of cards games at that time, although there was a variety including blackjack and poker.
It was in the 19th century that casinos really took off. Suddenly, large, extravagant buildings were being created in some of the wealthiest areas in the world, and going to a casino, which had certainly fallen out of favour and was seen as something seedy, became something to be proud of, especially of those casinos were in Monte Carlo or Biarritz or other exclusive European cities.
It took America quite a while to catch up. Remember, this is the time of the ‘wild West’, and although a change was coming, the USA was still very primitive. When the changes did come, though, they were impressive. Las Vegas, 1941, and the very first casino was built on the strip. Many more followed, and soon enough Las Vegas outshone everyone else if not in class then certainly in number.
And then nothing much happened. Everyone thought they new what a casino looked like and how it worked, and if they wanted to do (and could get to one) they did so.
But changes were ahead, of course. If there is one thing we know about the casino industry it’s that it doesn’t stay still for long. The next step was to take the casinos online. One by one, online casinos sprung up, giving everyone who had previously wanted to play casino games but had been unable to do so due to time, funds, or location, the chance to play. Today, more and more people are discovering online casinos every day, and the new advancements in technology that mean games can be played on the go as well as at home make it even more enjoyable and accessible.
The future holds even more changes for the casino industry. 3D slots and virtual reality casino gaming are just two of the new ideas that are coming soon, and in some cases have already been rolled out.