(cont...) HISTORY OF GAMBLING

Roulette also poses an elaborate history as well. Meaning ¨small wheel¨in French, it was invented in 1842 by Francois and Louis Blanc. Originally an offshoot of the Single 0 game from 1842, it was introduced to America around the same time period. Americans added a twist to the game by introducing the Double 0 to the roulette wheel, creating the American Roulette version which had many differences from the European version. The Roulette wheel itself is of unknown origin. Many historians believe Blaise Pascal, a 17th century mathematician, invented it whereas others have said the Chinese and the Dominicans started it. The game of roulette began to increase in popularity when Prince Charles of Monico used the wheel in the 18th century to offset financial problems his kingdom was facing.

Dice is an entirely different story. For more than 2000 years, pairs of dices have been thrown - probably so much as to create shifts in the Earth´s rotation. These items have produced many different games, with craps being the most popular and time tested. Originally given the name ¨Hazard¨it was played by only the upperclassmen of English society in the 18th and 19th centuries. Soon after, it was introduced to the French and given the name ¨craps¨ which was an offshoot of the word ¨crabs¨ (¨pair of ones¨) After its French initiative, it made its way to America with simpler rules and became a popular game amongst seamen on showboats and soon, the avenues and homes of towns throughout the country.

Gambling has progressed leaps and bounds since its early history. When America was ¨freed¨ from the British in 1776 and became its own country, the baby government used gambling to collect large amounts of money for its initial projects. When gambling became a cultural problem during the Western Frontier days, Nevada outlawed it during the period of 1850 to 1910. In 1931, it was brought back to life, making Las Vegas the official gambling capital of the world.