Fascinating Facts About Casinos

All over the world, there are many breathtaking casinos, especially in cities such as Las Vegas, London, and Macao. The experience you get when you visit such places is usually top-notch.

But, it didn’t start from there. The very first casino in the world originated in Italy. You probably didn’t know this, but the term casino is also of Italian origin. It’s from the word casa, which refers to houses and various establishments.

“Casino di Venezia” is the name of the first casino in the world. If you ever visit Venice in Italy, you will find the casino situated on the Grand Canal in Venice.

The casino was first a gambling wing in an old theatre in Venice called Saint Moses. Then, it was eventually bought by the city of Venice and is now an official casino in Italy.

You probably already know that people make cool cash from gambling in casinos. However, did you know that the winners of the first slot machine didn’t get cash rewards? You’re welcome.  They were rewarded with either drinks, cigarettes, or gums by the house they were playing in.

While this isn’t a piece of business advice, it’s actually an inspiring story for both punters and entrepreneurs.

The founder of FedEx, Frederick Smith, only had $5,000 in his pockets and decided to travel down to Vegas in 1973. That was all the company had, and he decided to risk it all. What a brave dude!

Luckily for him, everything went his way, and he was able to save his company by earning $27,000 in blackjack. Eventually, the company raised over $10 million and went on to make its first profits in 1976.

The penny slot machine is one of the first generations of slot machines. It was said that they bring in a lot of money, and as a result, casino owners fell deeply in love with them.

The machines allowed players to stake only a penny, but players ended up dropping a lot more pennies in the slot machines, which translated to high profits for casino owners.

You will find way more penny slots in most land-based casinos than you will find a roulette or blackjack table.

Her name was Mayme Stocker, and she was the first person to get a casino license in Las Vegas in 1920. At a time when patriarchy was still prevalent, Mayme decided to make history.

She was a wife and a mother whose husband didn’t want to get associated with the casino. This is why she opened the casino in her name.

If you’ve ever heard the term Devil’s Wheel, they were making reference to this. Perhaps it’s a coincidence and perhaps not, but this casino game has a reputation for ruining people’s lives. The fact that the numbers on the wheel add up to triple 6 contributed to why it’s also called the Devil’s Wheel.

The year was 1881 in the basement of a theatre in Arizona, where a poker game was said to have lasted for 8 years, 5 months, and 3 days.

We know what you’re thinking, but no, it wasn’t played at a stretch. There certainly were breaks in between.

While that sounds almost impossible to believe, poker games are known to last for long periods, even in modern times. Some tournaments last for months.

It’s a game that requires skill, luck, and patience. Well, those 1881 poker players obviously did have patience because playing for eight years is some incredible feat. It is said that about $10 million was exchanged during the game.

While most countries are already giving room to gambling and casinos, Japan has not legalised casinos yet. So if you visit Japan, there’s a good chance you will not find a casino. For your safety, you may want to avoid any illegal ones.

On the other hand, this doesn’t mean the Japanese don’t have a way around this. They have created alternatives to satisfy their cravings. They have what they call “Pachinko Parlors”, which are not illegal at all. Pachinkos are a type of slot machine that enable players to win small silver balls.

These balls can be traded for toys, alcohol, and special tokens. To have a casino win feeling, these tokens can be redeemed for cash at government-regulated establishments. So, in a way, you can see they still get to gamble but not directly.

The world's smallest casino is a mobile casino found at the back of a cab. It has a gaming table, TV, bar, and dealers. Riders are required to make a charitable donation so that they can use the casino and go anywhere in it for free.

The casino doesn’t have a physical address except that it is in London. It is popularly known as London’s Grosvenor Casino. If you ever find yourself in London either for vacation, a business, or an academic trip, you can locate it and have your own casino ride.