🕰️ The Early Days of Gambling (Pre-20th Century)
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🎲 Emergence of Betting Games (Ancient Civilizations)
Year Event 3000 BC The earliest known games of chance appear in Mesopotamia. 1000 BC Dice games are played in ancient China, leaving a legacy for gambling. -
🏰 The Establishment of Casinos (17th Century Europe)
Year Event 1638 The first official casino, ‚Il Ridotto,‘ opens in Venice, Italy. 1700s Gambling spreads across Europe, particularly in France and England.
🌍 The Birth of Modern Casinos (20th Century)
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🎖️ Las Vegas and the Casino Boom (1940s)
Year Event 1941 The first hotel-casino, El Rancho Vegas, opens in Las Vegas. 1950 The casino industry flourishes in Las Vegas, becoming a major tourist attraction. -
💻 The Rise of Online Gambling (Late 1990s)
Year Event 1994 Antigua and Barbuda pass a law allowing online casinos to operate. 1996 The first online casinos launch, paving the way for digital gambling.
📈 The Era of Real Money Online Gaming (21st Century)
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🚀 Legalization and Regulation (2000s)
Year Event 2006 The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is enacted in the US. 2013 New Jersey becomes the first state to regulate online gambling in the US. -
🌐 The Global Online Casino Landscape (2020s)
Year Event 2020 The pandemic accelerates the shift towards online gambling and casino play. 2023 New regulations are introduced in various countries to protect players online.