Amadeus does not shy away from placing a bet here and there. Whether it be a sports game, horse race or even something as simple as a coin flip with our friends, it seems even the simplest of bets have always found a way to help pass the time. It is no surprise then to find that Casinos, to this day, are the most visible monuments to the colossal scale of the gambling culture in America. Just visit Nevada and you’ll see the glaring glitz and glam of the casinos that attract tourists from across the world.
Before casinos became legal throughout the U.S., gambling was depicted as, “a completely disastrous activity” by most Americans. In essence, only those most lowly of people would partake in such a catastrophic hobby.
Soon after the general public realized the temptation that is gambling, Casino’s began to slowly become extinct and were technically banned from country wide existence. The exception- Las Vegas, Nevada, the forefront of gaming. Apart from The Wide Open State, Casinos as a matter of speaking were wiped out in the previous century because heavy social reformers saw the activity as an “insidious plague that wrecked families, promoted anti-social behavior, and threatened the moral character of the entire nation.” The social reformers’ advocacies led to the eradication of gambling until efforts to re-introduce the activity arose in the early decades of the 20th century.
Unsurprisingly, the old saying, “Money talks and everybody listens” does carry some weight, especially within the reintroduction of the casino culture. According to famous historian Daniel G. Shwartz, this realization came when different state officials saw the potential to benefit financially from a legalized form of gambling. It was at this moment that officials started to rationalize its new role within the country, and thought of ways on how to prevent people’s life from being destroyed by addiction.
“…but truly accelerating in the 1960s, state governments began to embrace gambling,” explained Shwartz. “At first looking merely to replace existing illegal gambling, states soon moved into the business of promoting betting and wagering.”
Today, gaming providers have provided some of the most convenient ways to join the gambling nation. With an abundance of people more than willing to jump on the wagon, online gaming providers have adopted a way to effectively monitor and prevent people from overspending on pay-to-play games. Gala Bingo, one of the most influential betting sites in the world and host to a myriad of exciting TV and film-themed games, offers a “Responsible Gaming” service to players, which is all about protecting vulnerable players and preventing underage gambling.
As arguments for the legalization of casino gambling prevailed during the 1970s, various states had experimented first with horse racing and lotteries before slowly introducing casino establishments to locals. Compared to horse racing and lotteries, state officials discovered that casinos were more financially rewarding and soon, New Jersey joined Nevada as a destination for casinos. Other states followed suit until casinos finally became an important part of the U.S.’ tourism and economy.
Today, casinos remain a profitable business. With casinos being built not only within the U.S., but also in developing nations, online casino culture is also flourishing given the fact that most people own a smartgadget today and can access these platforms with relative ease. Essentially, you can gamble with just the click of a button. That all being said, I bet you this article was more informative than you thought.