Playing casino games stays very popular since the beginning of time. The history of gambling goes back to the ancient times and there are much archaeological evidence that gambling was present in all advanced societies of the past: Greek, Egypt, India, China, Roma, etc. Numerous artifacts like dice, inscriptions of game rules and others were found all over the world. Some of them have been dated back to 2300 B.C. But it was the 14th century AD when gambling was considered to be against the law. King Henry VIII of England has banned gambling when he found out that his soldiers were spending more time playing than actually working.
The practice of paper money shuffling in ancient China became the predecessor of the modern game we know as blackjack. The practice has evolved into card playing, which was borrowed by the Mameluke Empire. Mamelukes, being Muslims used various designs somewhat reminiscent of famous Muslim carpets, to decor the cards. Upon its arrival to Europe in the Middle Ages, the players started using royal ranks of men within the Royal Court to denote the cards. But it was only in the 1500’s, when the French have introduced the Queen to the cards. These cards were known as the “French Pack”, and were the direct predecessor of the modern 52 card deck.
Roulette, as a casino game also has a very interesting history. The word «roulette» means «a small wheel» in French. The game we know today was popular in France in Modern times, and was edited by Francois and Louis Blanc into the form we all are familiar with. They have introduced the “Single 0” to the game in 1842, and roulette was brought to America in that variation. The Americans have made their own version of the game, introducing the “Double 0” to the wheel. Thus, there were already two types of roulette – European and American. There are ongoing debates regarding the origin of the game itself. Some people claim that roulette was invented by Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician who lived in the 17th century. Other state that the game was introduced by the Chinese and brought to Europe by Dominican monks. Regardless of its origin, roulette still is the most fascinating casino games today.
Dice have been around for more than 20 centuries, being involved in numerous activities, ranging from gambling to religious rituals. Dice, as we know it now, are very popular due to the game called «craps». This game was highly popular among the rich and famous of the 18th and 19th century England, and was originally called «Hazard». It was imported into France, where it got its modern name. “Craps” has derived from the word “crabs”, meaning “pair of ones”. The game was a huge success in America, where it was simplified into the present form and played on steam powered show boats.