GAMBLING IN THE 20TH CENTURY
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2023 1:13 pm
Gambling in the 20th century continued on its path of "Operation Gray Zone", and riverboat casinos in America continued to grow in popularity throughout the century. Horse betting and other betting opportunities existed in many places, and betting on college football has become particularly interesting for the Americans.
Fey's invention of the slot machine marked the beginning of a new era, with multiple companies, including the Mills and the Novelty company, introducing their own versions of a slot machine throughout the 20th century. Several improvements, including the possibility to win a jackpot, were brought on by the new slots, jumpstarting their popularity among the crowds.
After the introduction of blackjack at the beginning of the 20th century, it didn't take long for the first card counters to appear in casinos. This trend was intensified by the release of the now notorious book Beat the Dealer, which quickly became the ultimate textbook for anyone interested in counting cards. The book is still considered mandatory reading for any aspiring card counter today.
It probably comes as no surprise that with gambling becoming more prevalent, an increasing number of people started to display problem gambling symptoms. This led to the creation of Gamblers Anonymous, a fellowship of men and women with a compulsive gambling problem, followed by the American Psychiatric Association including pathological gambling in its list of disorders and diseases roughly 15 years later.
Fey's invention of the slot machine marked the beginning of a new era, with multiple companies, including the Mills and the Novelty company, introducing their own versions of a slot machine throughout the 20th century. Several improvements, including the possibility to win a jackpot, were brought on by the new slots, jumpstarting their popularity among the crowds.
After the introduction of blackjack at the beginning of the 20th century, it didn't take long for the first card counters to appear in casinos. This trend was intensified by the release of the now notorious book Beat the Dealer, which quickly became the ultimate textbook for anyone interested in counting cards. The book is still considered mandatory reading for any aspiring card counter today.
It probably comes as no surprise that with gambling becoming more prevalent, an increasing number of people started to display problem gambling symptoms. This led to the creation of Gamblers Anonymous, a fellowship of men and women with a compulsive gambling problem, followed by the American Psychiatric Association including pathological gambling in its list of disorders and diseases roughly 15 years later.
