Interesting Casino Facts: From Italians to the Devil

  Whether you go to the physical casino or just play online (at Free Spin Casino), we're all doing it for the same reason (bro-tip...to get poorer!), for the thrill of the win! Casinos have been part of life for many years. Today it's more easier to play than ever thanks to the Internet. Here are some interesting casino facts.

Introduction: Interesting Casino Facts

We have all seen the suave and glamorous James Bond in the movie casino setting. Cooling sipping his Vodka Martini (shaken not stirred) whilst playing poker or baccarat against his nemesis. But just how much do we know of the history and detail of these institutions? Let's have a deep dive into some interesting casino facts.

Bocca al Lupo!

The first city to spring to mind when the talk turns to casinos is that of Las Vegas. But alas, they were not the first. The very word "casino" contains it's origins. "Casa" means "house" in Italian. The term "Casino" is derived from this, though in normal Italian parlance, "casa" refers to a summer house, or social club. Somewhere to relax. And gamble. It's probable that organized gambling probably started in Venice in around 1638.

You're A Winner Baby!

The largest casino slot machine win was an astounding $39.7 million. In 2003, an LA software engineer wagered $100 on a Megabucks at the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas. The record still stands. If it were to be broken, then the chances of a repeat in Las Vegas are large, as these are over 200,000 machines there. But there's more chance of it happening in Macau as the gambling industry is so much bigger than in the States.There are even more at these online casinos in the US. Of course if you don't want to wager any money, you could always hack your way to riches.

Interesting Casino Facts: Stand And Deliver

The online casino slot machine record stands at 17.8 million Euros and was set in 2013 in Finland. In the US he'd be playing Free Spin Casino. The gambler was playing Mega Fortune and based on the present exchange rate, that's a massive $ 17.5 million. The UK record is a measly £13.2 million. A certain lucky Jonathan Howard placed a tiny 25 pence stake on Mega Moolal and saw a very happy return for his efforts.

The Exorcist: Coming to a Casino Near You

The Roulette wheel was an invention of the  French physicist, philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662). He was actually attempting to build a perpetual motion machine. In 1665, he came up with what was essentially a prototype of the roulette wheel we have today. The word "roulette" actually means "small wheel" in French. (As an aside, he was also the first person to wear a wrist watch). The modern version of the roulette wheel contains one very important change from the one devised by Pascal. In 1842, the brothers, Francois and Louis Blanc added a zero, thus shifting the odds to in the house's favor. It is said that they sold their souls to the devil for the secret of the roulette wheel. For proof of this, note that all the numbers on the wheel add up to 666....the mark of the beast! Sounds like good luck to me. Try these online casinos in the US and play like a demon!

Spit Or Swallow?

Some more historic interesting casino facts. During the 1700s, the English engaged a special type of employee at their casinos. Due of the illicit nature of casinos, there was the ever present chance of a "raid".  That's because many cities and towns used the 1730's Local Improvement Acts, which often included the provision for a paid watchmen or constables to patrol towns at night. At that time one of the normal games played was simply betting using two dice. Of course the casino got a cut of the action. But these same dice could be used as later evidence of said illicit activity. To that end, the casino employed a "dice sallower". I guess he would later be "shooting craps"!