Let’s travel back in time to 1638, where, along the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, history is in the making. When the Theatre Saint Moses closed its doors and reopened as the world’s first casino – the Casino di Venezia – a new craze was born in the city. 

From the birth of games of chance, to the glitz and glamour of land-based establishments and the vast amount of online casino games that are available today; the gaming industry is one of the most popular pastimes for many people all over the world. 

Join us as we take a look at how the casino scene has changed over the years, so that the next time you play, you’ll be able to bear witness to the glorious history that shrouds the games. 

Read on to find out more. 

Casino Di Venezia

The Theatre de Moses was a hotspot for the latest talent in 17th century Venice, and audiences would enjoy their fair share of gambling games in the intermission of plays. This birthed the idea of having a building specifically designed for avid gamers to join together and play some of the most popular games of chance. 

In the casino’s early days, it served as a home for Italian royalty, then became a frequent holiday spot for German composer Richard Wager. In 1946, the building was bought by the city of Venice and was renovated, ready for reopening in 1959. 

From Italy to the rest of the world

The opening of this grand Italian casino sparked the start of the casino craze in Italy, and by 1744, Venice was home to more than 120 dedicated casino buildings. By the 19th century, the popularity of gaming houses had spread throughout Europe. The games were often seen as a chance for the lower-class citizens to unwind and relax, with the hopes of bagging a small fortune for their families. 

Gambling was hugely popular with aristocrats and Royalty, with the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco being enjoyed by the latter after it opened in 1865 upon the request of prince Charles III. It was this that sparked a new generation of gaming, with marble and gold walls, paintings worth millions, and high stakes, making the Casino de Monte-Carlo the world’s first modern casino. 

It didn’t take long for popular games like Roulette and Vingt-et-Un to arrive in America from early settlers from France. The Mississippi steam boats then became the place to be for wealthy farmers and traders to play the games. Casino games then spread further thanks to the soldiers who played during the War, and as laws changed, casinos slowly became more accessible for all.

From royalty to Sin City

It was the building of the Hoover Dam in 1930, followed by the legalisation of gambling in Nevada in 1931, that workers and tradesmen flocked to what’s now known as the Strip to enjoy the games of chance. This spurred on the beginning of casinos in Nevada, and when the first casino resort, the Flamingo, was opened by famous mobster Bugsy Siegel, many other huge casinos were born.

Spas, pools, entertainment, dining and an entire movie-star lifestyle was beginning to boom into what would later be known as Sin City, and the likes of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra helped to carve the casino scene into the glamourous experience we know and love today. 

From land-based to online

Already it’s clear how much the casino scene has evolved, and now you can hold your very own portable casino in your hand at an online site. Thanks to the internet, greater bandwidth speeds and more people turning to tech, online casino sites can provide you with both virtual and live gameplay, with a variety of different games, including the classics, all packaged together in one place for you to enjoy from the comfort of your very own home.