Casino Games Histories and Origins

The internet has changed the way we play casino games.

Millions and millions of us now have an account with an online casino, allowing us to bet on an abundance of slot, blackjack and roulette games from our smartphones or tablets wherever and whenever we choose to play – whether that be chilling out in the park, squished in on the tube to work, or even snuggled up on the sofa in our PJs and slippers.

What’s more, the range of casino game titles out there nowadays is truly phenomenal. The best online casino sites provide in excess of 500 games, with slots of every imaginable genre and multiple editions of all the classic table games ready and waiting at just the tap of a button.

However, this greater level of accessibility – combined with the modern in-game bonus features and impressive 3D graphics on show it today’s titles –, means it’s easy to forget or ignore the long histories which lie behind some of our favourite casino games.

But these histories are rich, interesting and often very surprising. Did you know, for instance, that the first slot machine was first spun over 130 years ago, and early machines acted as little more than chewing gum dispensers? Or that, according to legend, being a good roulette player once depended on your relationship with the devil? And even if think you know blackjack, were you aware that the early years of this classic card game are actually filled with mystery?

Below we’ve put together brief description of the origins of three popular types of casino game: slots, roulette and blackjack. Have a quick read and you’ll start seeing the casino games you thought you knew in a whole new light.