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Gambling has been a popular source of entertainment since the late 17th century. Henry VIII was known to be an avid gambler, but ironically, he was the one to place a ban on these games since soldiers had started spending more time playing games, instead of fighting wars. However, the popularity of these games had grown so much that the gambling culture continued to flourish in the background before it became mainstream once again in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Certain types of gaming establishments called the "Gentleman's Club” started popping up. These were spaces where elite men gathered to play casino games, debate, socialize, and relax. The clubs were exclusive for men and women were banned from participating in any events these clubs conducted until much later, even then only a few women with high social status were allowed. Gentleman’s Clubs grew to become “second homes” for men, they would even set their postal addresses as that of the Clubs’ and receive all their mails there. The clubs were even designed to resemble domestic settings, letting members enjoy a cozy time with facilities to read, drink, and dine.

Over centuries, the gambling industry has witnessed many changes. The Gentleman’s Clubs has evolved into online casino platforms that offer mobile casino games. However, these elite clubs still remain prominent areas of London. White’s which is one of the oldest Gentleman’s Clubs has King Charles and his eldest son, Prince William as its members. Keeping with the traditions of the club, it still only gives membership to elite men with only very few women.

The club was originally founded in 1693. However, unlike its depictions in Regency romance novels such as Candice Hern’s Forgotten Betrothal, White’s didn’t start off as a Gentleman’s Club, it was Mrs White’s Chocolate House, a known tea house catering to both men and women who visited the nearby theatres, regardless of social class. By the Regency period, the establishment had turned into a popular gambling den exclusive to aristocratic members who had titles, money, or connections. Coffee houses had turned into Gentleman's Clubs simply because they were one of the common areas where most men of society met and socialized.

By 1733, the White’s had grown to not just become a chocolate house but also a prominent area where the elite met and enjoyed fashionable societal events of that time. Mrs. White is known to handle the establishment until 1729, after which no records have been found on her. But some records state that by 1730, one mister John Arthur had become the manager of the establishment. The businesses of the establishment were conducted in the second, third, and fourth houses below the corner of St.John’s place. It was in 1733, and under the management of Sir Arthur that the White’s caught fire and burnt down. Newspaper reports from then have been found, stating that the event had happened around four o’clock in the morning. One report by the “Daily Courant” stated, “On Saturday morning about four o’clock, a fire broke out at Mr. Arthur’s , at White Chocolate House in St. Jame’s Street, which burnt with great violence, and in a short time entirely consumed that house with two others, and much damaged several others adjoining.” By 1736, White’s had been rebuilt, but the photos show Robert Arthur, titled the “Young Arthur”. It is not known whether John Arther had passed away or simply retired and passed down the house to his son. By 1778, White’s had become one of the most important Gentleman’s Clubs and James Wyatt built a permanent Georgian townhouse at No. 37 St.James’s street which was then branded as White’s. The establishment still stands at the same place to this day.

Soon after the establishment of the new building, people were rushing to become members of the Club. A second club was formed and labelled the “Young Club”. Vacancies at the “Old Club” was filled by members of the Young Club. However, this system did not last long, both the clubs merged to become a single one in the early 19th century.

Membership at White’s was based on votes. The existing members of the club would place a red or black ball into a special box secretly. The red ball meant agreement, and the black ball meant disagreement. A single black ball would mean denial of membership. If a member gets rejected, he was considered to be “blackballed”.

Women were strictly banned from White’s, even in the current, modern times, the club still works according to its traditional rules. However, Queen Elizabeth had been allowed inside from the years 1991 to 2016, and in regards with her Platinum jubilee celebration in 2022, the Club had conducted a special dinner with members’ wives in attendance. Apart from some rare events, White’s has always been a male-only space. It was a natural consequence of a highly patriarchal society that resulted in such a strict ban of women. Men had grown without any females in their circles, male children had gone to same sex schools, played sports with boys, and then went on to do businesses with their male counterparts. Since there was no interaction with females in any areas of their lives, women were naturally sidelined when it came to Gentleman’s Clubs.

The club used to maintain a “Betting Book”. As the name suggests, it is a ledger recording every wager that was staked since the club’s origin. The records show that no restrictions were set to the stakes, terms, or nature of the wagers. Some used to wager on sports events such as races, while many others placed bets on politics and the passage of bills in the parliament. During the Napoleonic Wars, many bets have been recorded with people wagering on the results of military engagements.

The Club is still located in the same area, No. 37 St.James’s street, and is listed as a Grade I building.

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