How an Abandoned Valley Turned into a Gambler’s Haven

Las Vegas is a successful city with its towering casinos, bright lights, music, shows, and everything that makes it exciting. The truth, however, is that Las Vegas was not always this city bustling with excitement. It is actually by chance that it became the place to go if you want to gamble your money.

At one time, the area that is now called Las Vegas was an abandoned valley. The only reason why it became populated was because of the railroad running through the area. Eventually, people began building homes, taking advantage of the railroad, and suddenly casinos started popping up everywhere. What turned into a blue collar area turned into a white collar area. Legalized gambling was the best thing that ever happened to that area because it had the potential to house everything it does today.

Not bad for an area where people began flocking to one by one. It did not break open in a day.

The Chinese are Responsible for Gambling

Although the act of gambling has been around for a long time, the Chinese get credit for many of the games that are played today. Pai Gow Poker is one of the reasons why Poker took off the way it did. The Chinese created this game and had great fun with it. Eventually, it became a way to win and lose money.

Pai Gow did move throughout the world and grew in popularity. After this growth, it wasn’t long that European countries found themselves developing games such as Roulette and other forms of Poker were being born. Games like Baccarat, Craps, and Blackjack also have European roots. That is why you will find a European way that games are played and an American way. Take Roulette, for instance. You have a European Roulette wheel and an American wheel.

So we can blame the Chinese as far as we know at this point for the fact that gambling has been a way of life for many people for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.