Games of Chance and Money
Gambling and gambling are familiar to most of us. From scratch cards to poker to sports betting, many of us have tried our luck, at least once, in the hope of winning our dream sum. But by the way… Where do these games come from? Where do we find them and above all, how do we get there?
Casino Games: a bit of history
The origins of games of chance and money are much older than one might imagine. The Rig Veda, one of the four great sacred texts of Hinduism, already mentioned the use of dice as random games, in the 2nd century BC. This use is then found among the Romans. In the 13th century, the game Hazard, a dice throwing game, spread throughout medieval Europe, particularly in France and England where it was played in gaming halls for sometimes very high sums. Hazard comes from the Arabic al-zahr which means… dice! Today, in the United States, Craps, an American version of Hazard whose rules are almost identical, is played in most major casinos.
Although very old and widespread in different parts of the world, games of chance and money have long been banned. In France, for example, it was not until the end of the 18th century that games of chance and money came out of hiding thanks to the creation of the Royal Lottery. From the 19th century, casinos made their appearance, closely followed by the PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain) and the National Lottery.
With the development of the Internet and online gaming platforms and casinos, these games are now available online, making them more accessible than ever. By playing games of chance online, everyone can try their luck from the comfort of their living room by playing directly from their computer or smartphone.
The Different Types of Chance Games
Currently, there is a very wide variety of games of chance and money. Each game has different rules and specificities. However, these can be grouped into broad categories
Draw games: this is the lottery. The player bets the sum of his choice on the numbers he guesses as winners, at random, by ticking them off in a grid.
Scratch games: these games are very popular and are easily found in French tobacconists, for example. The player buys a ticket and must scratch one or more squares to find out if he has won something.
Horse betting: this game was born in the context of horse racing. Here, the player bets the sum of his choice on the horse he considers to be the winner.
Sports betting: these games consist of betting money on the outcome of a sporting event. The most popular sport for sports betting is undoubtedly football. For example, in 2019, 56% of bets made were on football.
Poker: a great classic of casinos, poker is a card game that is played with several people. Each player bets the sum of his choice according to the cards he has in his deck. Each player tries to win the chips of the other players by creating the best combinations of five cards.
Slot machines: they are another example of games of chance. By inserting a token into a machine, a player can win (or not) sometimes very high sums of money.
Other casino games: casinos are high places for games of chance and money. They of course offer slot machines and poker games, but also different games of chance such as blackjack or other card games, roulette and baccarat or other “lucky dice” games such as Hazard or Craps mentioned above.
Games of Chance and Money in France: popularity and legal framework
In France, the tradition of games of chance is ancient and dates back to medieval times. Long banned and played illegally, these games ended up being recognized by the State from the end of the 18th century and supervised by various structures, some of which still exist today such as the PMU and the Française de Jeux.
Thus, the marketing of horse racing bets constitutes a monopoly held by the PMU through a network of points of sale distributed throughout France. La Française des Jeux has a monopoly on the marketing of scratch games (or draw) and point-of-sale sports betting. In addition, casinos sell table games and slot machines. Finally, online games of chance have experienced a real boom in recent years.
Games of chance and chance represent an important economic sector in France with more than tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and a turnover of 10.4 billion euros in 2017. Their popularity continues to grow and the taste for these games starts early! Indeed, from adolescence, many young people try their luck in the hope of winning the sum of their dream. Draw-or-scratch games are the favorite of teenagers followed by sports betting and casino games.
Among adults, scratch cards are also the most popular, followed by sports and horse betting and casino games. Participation in online gambling is also on the rise.
A question remains however among the followers of the games of chance: how to have luck with the games? Indeed, these games are random by definition and therefore their results are too. According to some, it is enough to be in a positive and optimistic state of mind to attract luck. For others, certain rituals and superstitions like keeping pumpkin seeds in our wallet or using lucky charms such as the horseshoe or the four-leaf clover can help us cultivate more luck. One thing is certain, to have luck at the games, you simply have to start by playing!