Throughout the ages, gambling has held a special place in society. From the ancient Chinese and Egyptian civilizations to modern casinos, gambling empires have been created and destroyed in an ever-changing landscape. This article will explore the rise and fall of some of the most famous gambling empires throughout history.
The first recorded form of gambling was by Chinese Emperor Fu Hsi in 2300 BC. He is said to have used tiles with markings on them as a form of divination, which many believe was the basis for the game of mahjong. Gambling flourished in China for centuries until it was made illegal in 1845. The ban on gambling lasted for decades before being lifted again in 2001 when local governments were permitted to grant licenses for casinos.
Egyptian civilization also had a long history with gambling, with archaeological evidence pointing to dice games being played as early as 2000 BC. It wasn’t until much later that these games started to take on a more organized form. In 1650 BC, Pharaoh Senusret III built one of the world’s first casinos in what is now Luxor, Egypt. It featured many popular games like craps and roulette and was known as “The House of Games”. The casino remained open until it was destroyed during WWI bombing raids in 1917.
In Europe, gambling became increasingly popular during the 17th century when King Charles II legalized lotteries in England and France followed suit shortly after. Casinos began popping up all over Europe soon after and by 1848 there were 600 casinos operating across France alone. These establishments often served as gathering places for wealthy aristocrats who enjoyed playing high-stakes card games like Baccarat or Faro. Unfortunately, this period didn’t last long; Napoleon outlawed all forms of public gambling shortly after taking power in his coup d’etat at 1800 AD .
Las Vegas is perhaps one of the most well-known examples of a successful gambling empire that rose from nothing to become a global phenomenon overnight. Starting out as a small desert town populated by prospectors looking for gold and silver during the Great Depression Era, Las Vegas quickly transformed into something far greater thanks largely to some shrewd business decisions made by infamous mobster Bugsy Siegel who opened “The Flamingo” casino resort in 1946 – kickstarting Las Vegas’ transformation into what we know today as Sin City – the entertainment capital of the world!
Today, Las Vegas remains at its peak with tens of billions dollars changing hands every year through its hundreds of casinos offering everything from slot machines to sports betting and poker tournaments too! However even with this success story there are still plenty more tales where empires rise just to fall again – such has been seen recently with Macau’s fortunes declining sharply due to China cracking down on corruption within its borders among other reasons!
Gambling empires have come and gone throughout history but their legacy lives on through iconic establishments like Las Vegas which continues to attract millions visitors each year despite its tumultuous past! Whether you’re looking for a high stakes game or just trying your luck at slots or roulette, there’s no denying that these historic empires will remain etched into our collective memory forevermore!
