A History of Legalized Gambling

Gambling is as old as society. The Chinese first rolled dice. The Romans wagered on gladiators and lions. The English bet in card games.

Human beings in many cultures have been betting on all kinds of things from individuals and teams to horses and dogs.

The first legalized gambling house was launched in 1626. Venetian high society met in so-called little houses to indulge in everything from business dealings and politics to gambling and more carnival pleasures.

Southwest Germany is home to the first legal casino. It opened in 1765 in Baden. Its successor, Kurhaus Baden-Baden, was constructed in the early 1820s where the first casino stood, thanks to Fredrich Weinbrenner, and opened in 1824.

In 1776, sanctioned by the infant United States government, legal gambling was used in a variety of ways to raise money for the young country breaking away from the English.

Two hundred years later, casinos were only allowed in Nevada while New Hampshire was the lone state with a lottery. By 1992, there were 40 state lotteries. And casino gambling spread to three other states while 28 had agreements with Indian tribal nations to allow gambling.

Napoleon legalized French casinos in 1806. The gambling houses introduced luxury and comfort as managers began restricting access to a selected clientele.

Monaco, encountering financial troubles in 1860, opened glamorous Monte Carlo to boost the declining economy.

Germany’s largest casino was taken over in 1838 by Jacques Bénazet, lessee of the gaming rooms in the Paris Palais Royal until they were shut down.

The main gaming area is still known as the Weinbrenner Room. The stately Kurhaus rooms include Bénazet Hall and the Hall of Mirrors where galas, concerts and lectures are held.

After his father died, Edouard Bénazet took command in 1848. Calling on his prominent associations, he arranged for famous musicians and actors to come to Baden-Baden. After the casino was rebuilt in 1855, new gaming rooms were created in the right wing by interior decorators and artists from Paris.