There are many references to gambling in the folk tales of various cultures around the world.

Greek and Roman myths mention the god of gambling, or the god of luck. The Irish and Scots have tales of extraordinary wagers or bets not claimed by winners. But the most numerous dramatic stories of gambling can be found in the folk literature of Asia, including Southeast Asia, Japan, the Philippines, and India.

In Asia there are many folk tales of men using their own wives, sisters, daughters, their own bodies, or body parts as stakes in gambling. Some of these legends are of ancient origin, some telling of gambling with the gods, while others are entirely secular in nature.

Another continent rich in folk tales of gambling is North America.

Of all the fairly researched gambling peoples, half are North American Indians. Roman emperors were very fond of dice, and did so quite often, especially Augustus and Claudius. But common Roman citizens were only allowed to play dice during certain seasons.

Throughout the Middle Ages, church officials and kings made attempts to eradicate gambling, and their failures serve as proof of the durability of the craving for gambling excitement. In 1765 the first roulette device appeared in France. The authorship is attributed to police officer Gabriel de Sartine, who wished to invent a game of chance in which it would be impossible to cheat.

According to another version roulette is a result of unsuccessful experiment of French philosopher and mathematician Pascal, who tried to create a perpetual motion machine.

The first casino was opened in 1863 by Charles Grimaldi, Prince of the Principality of Monaco. The Italian word itself means "country house".

Slot machines, popularly referred to as "one-armed bandits", were invented by American mechanic Charles Fey in 1895. Now they are an essential attribute of any casino, as well as card games such as blackjack and poker. Thus, by the beginning of the twentieth century, all the main games of the modern casino were invented. It remained to legalize them. And here in the first ranks was... puritanical America.

However, besides America, there are also countries where gambling takes a leading place. One of the most interesting games is becric aviator