Gambling has been enjoyed in different cultures for hundreds of years. Different gambling games originated in different countries and became synonymous with different cultures. Over time these games spread around the world, mostly taken to new countries by immigrants. Today, gambling has become completely international, particularly with the advent of online gambling and people from all over the world enjoy gambling games that they never had access to before.

Gambling in China
Chinese history is full of gambling and in fact, some of the modern gambling games that we have today originated in Ancient China. Keno, a game that is now enjoyed around the world, is thought to have originated in Ancient China. Today, gambling is illegal in China.

Gambling in Macau
While Macau is on the southeastern end of China, the gambling laws there could not be more different. Gambling has been legal in Macau since the 1800s and it is a thriving business.

Gambling in Europe
Many of our modern gambling games originated in Europe. Dice games, card games and horse racing are among some of the games that we enjoy today that originated in Europe at some time or another. Casinos have existed for a long time on European soil and Monte Carlo has a reputation of being a favorite casino destination. Many online casinos today are based in Europe with a focus on the European market.

Gambling in America
America has a long and colorful history of gambling dating back to around the 1700s. Gambling and lotteries grew around the US until they were almost entirely banned in the early 20th century. Bingo became legal around the time of the Great Depression and in 1931 most forms of gambling were made legal in Nevada. Gambling slowly became legal in more and more states. New laws were passed in 2006 that have made gambling complicated in the United States – gambling itself has not been outlawed, however making transactions to gambling institutions is.

Internet Gambling
Internet gambling has allowed for a real upsurge of gambling around the world. Now players who enjoyed a little bit of gambling here and there can play any time it suits them from the comfort of their own homes. More and more games are available and it is easy to enjoy games that have originated from across the world. With gambling being shown live on television and popular International gambling tournaments being broadcast live, the popularity of gambling is on the rise.

By Michelle Stevens
Michelle Stevens is a well known journalist that writes for many newspapers and online news sites. She has recently written a number of articles on online casino games and how they compare to each other.