gambling

Gambling has existed since ancient times, and there is evidence that most cultures supported it in some form or another.

Implements associated with the practice of gambling have been found in ancient China sites dating back to about 2300 B.C. A pair of ivory dice made sometime before 1500 B.C. have been found in Egypt. In fact, writings mentioning gambling have been discovered on a tablet in one of the pyramids at Giza. Inhabitants of ancient India, Greece and Rome also practiced some form of gambling. Gambling has played a role in the history of nations. Around the year 1,000 A.D., King Olaf of Norway and King Olaf of Sweden are said to have come together to decide on the ownership of the district of Hising, a relatively isolated area claimed by both countries. Because the dispute could not be resolved diplomatically, the two kings agreed to roll a pair of dice. On their first rolls, both kings got double six; on their second rolls, the Swedish king came up with two sixes and the Norwegian king rolled six on the first die. The second, however, is said to have cracked showed seven. Norway received the territory, and the two kings reportedly departed on good terms.

We find that gambling was so popular during the Middle Ages that some countries prohibited their soldiers from participating in games, since the gambling activities prevented them from carrying out their proper duties. King Henry VIII of England, for example, is said to have banned gambling when he determined that his soldiers were devoting more time to gambling and less time to working on drills and marksmanship.Playing cards may have developed in China, since the Chinese developed both paper and money made from paper. In fact, the Chinese are said to have come up with the practice of shuffling paper money about 900 A.D. This may have evolved into the practice of shuffling cards. Playing cards then apparently spread to the Mameluke Empire. Since the Mamelukes were Muslim, they did not decorate their playing cards with human forms; instead, their cards were decorated with intricate designs. When the cards made their way to the Mediterranean countries, card makers began distinguishing cards with the royal ranks of noblemen who frequented the royal court. The French took out one of the men and added a queen card sometime in the 1500s. This "French Pack" of cards became the prototype of the 52-card deck we use today.
The early colonies had very different attitudes towards gambling. Historians have classified the early settlers into two groups, the English who brought along the English traditions and beliefs, and the Puritans. Although the Puritans came from England, they came to the new world to create a better society and discard the values of their mother country. To them, the new world represented an opportunity for establishing a society grounded on Puritan values and beliefs.

Entire colonies were established along the guidelines and beliefs of one group or another. In particular, different attitudes towards gambling were enforced. In New England and Pennsylvania, Puritan attitudes toward gaming and play were adopted. The Puritan-led Massachusetts Bay Colony outlawed not only the possession of cards, dice, and gaming tables (even in private homes), but also dancing and singing. This stance was relaxed slightly the following year so as to allow gaming as long as it was for innocent and moderate recreation and not as a trade or calling. This hostility towards the professional gambler is a common theme that will be seen again as we look at the history of U.S. gambling.

In other colonies, English attitudes towards gambling and recreation prevailed. These settlers brought with them the view that gambling was a harmless diversion. In these colonies, gambling was a popular and accepted activity. Legal gambling tended to be those types that were considered proper gentlemen's diversions. For example, it took a long time for cock-fighting to become legal because it was not considered a suitable game for gentlemen.

One prominent researcher speculates that the appeal of gambling was probably heightened by the frontier spirit. The desire to explore new worlds is similar to gambling. Both rely heavily on high expectations, risk taking, opportunism, and movement