Worldwide

There has been much criticism surrounding the saturation of advertisements for gambling on television and on the internet in recent years.

However, as long as you are sensible with the amount of money you deposit and always stop gambling once you have reached your comfortable monetary limit, gambling online and in a live casino can be an exceedingly enjoyable pastime.

Read on to learn all about the introduction of gambling to Britain through the years and why it is so popular.

Early beginnings

The practice of gambling worldwide can be traced way back to ancient China, but in the context of Britain, gambling began in the middle of the sixteenth century.

Although crude versions of games bearing a passing resemblance to gambling practices did exist here before, as the church held such power over the country and frowned upon all forms of gambling, it was never allowed to develop and was forbidden.

Lotteries & horse racing

Once the sixteenth century was well underway, betting on horse racing became popular rather quickly and is, therefore, the oldest type of gambling British people still enjoy today.

It is said that the Kiplingcotes Derby, held in Yorkshire every year over four miles, is the oldest-ever horse racing event, as it started in early 1519. The first recorded official bet on horse racing was made by none other than King James I, who named Newmarket as his royal resort. The king bet £100, an astonishingly large amount of money at the time, on a horse owned by the Marquess of Buckingham to beat Lord Salisbury's stallion.

Licensed gambling houses

Charles Dickens explained the boom in casinos (known then as 'gambling houses') perfectly by noting that it was impossible 'to turn a street corner without a bookies springing-up', with the government of the time creating the Gaming Act and the Betting Act to try and curb their popularity.

Those living through World War I took part in 'underground' gambling activities, playing poker, blackjack and baccarat, with card games such as these gaining substantial popularity in the ensuing years.

By the time World War II was over, in 1960, the Betting & Gaming Acts had come together to officially legalise what people had been enjoying in abundance for years anyway.

In recent times, only made possible due to the development and now ultimate accessibility of the internet on smartphones, you can enjoy a session of responsible gambling from the comfort of your own home. If you are interested in learning more, then be sure to visit privecity.com.

Gambling addiction

Much like a number of other hobbies and pastimes, when people gamble responsibly and do not let their enjoyment of the game take over their life and destroy their finances, it can be an exceedingly enjoyable way to relax over the weekend with friends and family.

Responsible gambling tools are in place, both in the context of online casinos and in-house, to ensure that players stay within their means, including deposit limits, time-outs, cooling-off periods and even self-exclusion.

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