Gambling comes in many shapes and forms, and there are literally thousands of gambling opportunities presented to us everyday. Gambling accounts for a vast amount of the economy, 2007 saw Las Vegas gamblers place $170 Billion Dollars worth of bets in the casino’s, $7 billion of which was won by the casino.
Gambling is seen every where, from the casino’s, to lottery tickets, to betting shops even down to raffle tickets, and bingo halls, all are forms of gambling and all are enjoyed by millions of people across the globe every day. The first slot machine ever invented was by a car mechanic. Mr Charles Fey wanted to keep his customers amused whilst they waited for repairs on their cars, so invented the slot machine in 1899, little realising the phenomenon it would become today.
Las Vegas is known as the gambling capital of the world, and it holds its name proud. Las Vegas is home to around 2 million people, and it is reported that in 2005 there was one slot machine for every 8 people who lived in Las Vegas, and that is only the slots. There are many games to play in the casino’s including roulette, blackjack, poker, craps, slots; the list is endless and ever changing. The highest recorded jackpot ever won on a slot machine was in 1998, a woman player playing one of the slot machines managed to scoop a staggering $27.6 million dollars, she has wagered only $300 dollars that day, making for a very hefty profit.
Gambling what ever form is may take, is simply a game of chance, and the aim is to predict a certain outcome solely by chance. The lure of the gambling world is the ability to win big in an instant. This dream is something that is shared by millions young, old, rich or poor. Some of the most famous people in the word were profound gamblers, it is said that the infamous Groucho Marx was a avid poker player, and he carried a grouch bag at all times, which was said to hold his poker money, hence the nickname "Groucho".
Love it or hate it, the gambling industry in on the rise, the annual turnover from gambling goes in to billions world wide, and the introduction of online gambling has increased the profits by a further 3 billion in just a few years. |
