From Venice to Vegas: a short history of the casino

In 1638 Venice opened the Ridotto, the first state-sanctioned gambling house in history. The city wasn't trying to encourage gambling — it was trying to control it. Games during carnival season were chaotic, so the Republic moved them into one supervised wing of a palazzo, with dress codes, high stakes and the house quietly taking its share.

The 19th century gave the casino its glamour. The Casino de Monte-Carlo, opened in 1863, famously rescued Monaco's princely family from bankruptcy. In 1891 Charles Wells 'broke the bank' there, turning a few thousand francs into a fortune at roulette.

Nevada legalised gambling in 1931 and the Flamingo's opening in 1946 set the template for the modern resort. The next revolution didn't need a building: the first online casinos appeared in the mid-1990s, and today live dealers, mobile apps and crypto payments have turned that Venetian side room into an industry that fits in your pocket.