Gambling has long been a popular pastime in the United States, with evidence of its existence dating back to Native American tribes. Over the years, it has grown and changed significantly, with states now regulating and legalizing gambling activities, such as casinos, sports betting and lotteries. Let’s take a brief look at the history of gambling in the U.S., including how it developed and when it was legalized in some states.
The earliest forms of gambling in the U.S. were played by Native Americans hundreds of years ago. While different games varied among tribes, most commonly played were stick games, dice games and wagering on horse racing – all of which are still popular today. As European settlers moved into what is now known as the United States during the 17th century, they brought their own style of gambling with them – most notably card games such as poker, blackjack and baccarat. From then on out, these new arrivals helped spread these activities around the country until they became common throughout various regions.
Despite its popularity among citizens across America, legal forms of gambling remained scarce through much of the 18th century due to strict laws against it in many states and territories – stemming from religious beliefs held by many at that time. However, by the late 19th century attitudes began changing towards gambling across society due to industrialization and improved transportation systems leading to more access to gaming activities for people living outside major cities like Las Vegas or Atlantic City.
In 1931 Nevada became the first state to legalize casino-style gaming; followed shortly after by New Jersey who opened their first casino in 1978 – marking a major turning point for legalized gambling in America as more states began following suit over time . This trend continued until 1992 when Congress passed The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) which banned sports betting nationwide- effectively halting any plans for further legalization until 2018 when this law was overturned by The Supreme Court ruling that allowed individual states to decide whether or not they wanted to permit wagering on sports events within their borders .
Today , most states have some form of legalized gambling activity available ranging from casinos , lotteries , race tracks , bingo halls etc . It is estimated that over $90 billion dollars are wagered each year across America with no signs that this trend will be slowing down anytime soon . With so much money pouring into this industry , it’s safe to say that Americans are passionate about their favorite pastime .
