Discovering the age of gambling: The history of the first casino in the world

Gambling has been a part of human civilisation for millennia and its presence is evident among different cultures across time. Games of chance and their glamour have caught people’s interest since before the first-ever casino in the world. This includes the ancient Greeks and Chinese, Romans and more recently, Victorian England. 

During those times you had to gamble in secret, away from the prying eyes of the law. Now on the other hand you’ll easily find the latest reviews on casinos or gambling sites. If you are from New Zealand feel free to check out iCasinoreviews.info where you may find solid recommendations for casino sites and bonuses. Now we'll turn to the intricate history of the first casino in the world and how gambling establishments have developed through time.

First gambling houses

The evidence shows that gambling existed before our recorded history. Various ancient gaming artefacts, such as dice, have been found all over the world. Even modern casino games have a long history and can be traced a few centuries back. One of the earliest documented examples dates back to 2300 BCE in China. Here, archaeologists found tiles used in old games of chance. Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell what the rules were, but many speculate it was similar to the modern lottery. 

Betting in sports was also quite a common hobby. People gambled on gladiator fights in the Roman Colosseum. Additionally analysed gladiators with the same zeal as they analyse professional athletes today.

On the other side of the world, cricket fighting was a popular form of gambling. This was especially true in China during the Tang and Ming dynasties, as some of their royal officials were enamoured with this form of entertainment. 

Jia Sidao, appointed as prime minister during the Song dynasty, was famous for cricket fighting which earned him the nickname Cricket Prime Minister. The Ming dynasty Emperor Xuande had a similar hobby and he was called Cricket Emperor. This hobby of his cast a shadow over his other achievements.  

Art that depicts gambling

Before we learn what the first casino in the world was, you should get familiar with the famous gambling art pieces. For a long time, people dared to play games either in the crowded streets, taverns or even on the battlefields. This ubiquitous habit is visible in renowned ancient artworks.

Two famous works in art history have gambling motifs. They are the Exekias Amphora with Achilles and Ajax and the Dice Players of Pompeii.

The Exekias Amphora, which is thought to have been constructed in 540 BCE, depicts Achilles and Ajax playing a game of dice while in the middle of the Trojan War. Dice was a way to entertain oneself or even used as a status symbol among the ancient warriors at that time. So, only nobles with high-quality weapons and equipment could have access to this game. 

Another notable piece of art is Pompeii Dice Players. This wall art was found in the remains of Pompeii and showcased gambling in Roman times. It was illegal to gamble, safe from a few special occasions like festivals, but the painting shows a clear disregard for this rule. 

It's worth mentioning that ancient art had unclear game rules. Despite this, scholars believe they are similar to modern dice games like craps. The act of throwing the dice and wagering on the result seems to have been a common form of entertainment and game of chance among different cultures at different times.

First casino in Europe: Il Ridotto

Now to answer the question - what was the first casino in the world? Well, the origin of organised gambling in Europe can be traced to Il Ridotto. And for those curious about where the first casino in the world was, it was in the private halls on Palazzo Dandolo in the city centre of Venice. In 1638, Il Ridotto was opened as the first legal government-owned casino in Western civilisation. The existence of Il Ridotto stood as a turning point for regulated gambling buildings in Europe. 

It was open to the public, but at the same time, it had a strict dress code making it inaccessible to commoners. Its presence made Venice famous and a preferred place to spend leisure time. Visitors could participate in a lottery-like activity called biribi, but the top attraction was the card game basetta. 

Basetta is best described as a combination of poker, blackjack, and rummy and the jackpot at that time was 60x the wagered amount. Ridotto also innovated and added new gambling competitions. They modified Basetta and adjusted some rules to create a brand-new game called Faro. Faro would become even more popular over time, and a big hit in the US. 

Conclusion

The long history of the first-ever casino in the world, Il Ridotto, shows us the persistent curiosity of human beings towards luck and taking chances. It also tells us that even before official gambling houses, games of chance were regarded as entertainment for nobles. Even modern gambling resorts have that same sentiment, but the activity itself is far more accessible nowadays. This is mainly thanks to online casinos and smaller gambling joints that are practically everywhere in urban settings.    

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