Gambling was prevalent in North America long before the Europeans arrived. It was an expression of spirituality among the Native Americans and probably existed more than a thousand years before the Europeans began settling on the continent.

The Original Form of Gambling

Native American tribes played dice games in the southwest and games involving stone discs in the east. For the ancient tribes of North America, gambling was a way of earning a living. It was easier than warfare or other, more violent, methods of gaining wealth and much less expensive. This was also a time when spirituality and economics were tightly linked. Historians say that between the more than 200 tribes across North America, there were 36 games of chance that were played during festivals and religious rites. When the U. S. government considered legalizing gambling on Indian reservations, one of the arguments was to recognize these games as a religious expression.

When Europeans Came

Coming to the New World involved gambling. Europeans needed to apply to a lottery to be able to make the voyage. Europeans also used lotteries as a way to gamble with money, similar to the lotteries used today. Lotteries were instituted by all thirteen colonies. In fact, it was the lottery that raised revenue to keep the colonies solvent and paid for public works. It was considered a civic duty to play the lottery.

The French in particular brought their games with them to North America. They introduced games like craps and roulette and some card games to the people of the United States. Before the Civil War, gambling was extremely popular in New Orleans and other towns where the French settled. After the Civil War, the gambling movement, like the population, moved west.

Gambling Establishments

The original gambling establishments were roadhouses and taverns that offered dice and card games, but little else. The first casinos came in the 1800s as the population increased.

River towns were popular casino towns during the 19th century. The gamblers liked to take advantage of riverboat travelers. However, because of scandals, gambling was increasingly outlawed across the country, and almost completely illegal nationwide by the turn of the century.

Nevada, however, wavered over whether or not to legalize gambling. It would go for periods where gambling was legal and then it would go for years where it was illegal. Finally, in 1931, it was legalized seemingly for good. Although other states allowed lotteries and horse racing, casino gambling was unique to Nevada until the late 1970s, when New Jersey allowed Atlantic City to open casinos. As the 21st century approached, casinos returned to the Mississippi River and the government made agreements with Indian tribes to allow casinos on reservations.

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