History of Casinos
When you stop to look at the casinos of today, you’ll see some of the most glamorous and extravagant resorts in the world. Nothing is too expensive when building these wonders as many casinos feature luxurious hotel rooms, delicious buffets, and flashy game rooms. But few people realize how humble the beginnings were for these massive structures or even how the concept of a casino was first conceived. And it really is an amazing story how casinos went from tiny villas to the marvels that they have become. 
Long before anyone conceived the idea of a casino, gambling was thriving among small clusters of people in earlier civilizations.
Some countries had already outlawed gambling and casinos. But despite this fact, casinos still continued to pop up all over Italy, and gambling was just as popular as ever. It was really only a matter of time before a city decided to open a legal version.
The first of these extravagant casinos was the Baden-Baden which opened in 1748 and still featured the traditional house look. However, this was no ordinary house since the Baden-Baden was a magnificent place complete with massive pillars and a plush lawn. People from all over were happy to make the trip to the Baden-Baden just to see it and – amazingly – the Baden-Baden still operates today. Other places would soon follow the model set forth by Germany’s Baden-Baden, and thus began the path towards modern casinos.
The Birth of Gambling Destinations
While gambling was definitely becoming an extremely popular activity enhanced by casinos, it had yet to go full scale.
The United States, too, eventually became a paradise for gamblers all over the world. Casinos had already begun to open along the Mississippi River, and the saloons of the Wild West saw a lot of gambling as well. There was no doubt that gambling was becoming an increasingly big part of American society during this time period.
However, some states began realizing that trying to end gambling was futile, and Nevada was the first one to act. Seizing the opportunity to profit from gambling, the state legalized it in 1931. This opened the gates for the first Las Vegas casino which was called El Rancho Vegas; it was finished in 1941 and was built on the future Vegas Strip.
