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The term gambling has many different meanings depending on the cultural and historical context in which it is used. Currently, in Western societies, it has an economic definition, referring to "wagering money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods". Typically, the outcome of the wager is evident within a short period of time.
The term gaming in this context typically refers to instances in which the activity has been specifically permitted by law. The two words are not mutually exclusive; i.e.: a “gaming” company offers (legal) “gambling” activities to the public.
Legal aspects
Both the
Catholic and Jewish traditions traditionally set aside days for gambling, although
religious authorities generally disapprove of gambling to some extent. Gambling
can have adverse social consequences. For these social and religious reasons,
most legal jurisdictions limit gambling to some extent. Some Islamic nations prohibit
gambling; most other countries regulate it.
Many jurisdictions, local as well as national, either ban or heavily control (by licensing) gambling. Such regulation generally leads to gambling tourism and illegal gambling. The involvement of governments, through regulation and taxation, has led to a close connection between many governments and gaming organizations, where legal gambling provides significant government revenue, such as in Monaco or Macau.
Under US federal law, gambling is legal in the United States, and states are free to regulate or prohibit the practice. Gambling has been legal in Nevada since 1931, forming the backbone of the state's economy, and the city of Las Vegas is perhaps the best known gambling destination in the world. In 1976, gambling was legalized in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and in 1990, it was legalized in Tunica, Mississippi; both of those cities have developed extensive casino and resort areas since then. Since a favorable US Supreme Court decision in 1987, many Native American tribes have built their own casinos on tribal lands as a way to provide revenue for the tribe. Because the tribes are considered sovereign nations, they are often exempt from state laws banning gambling, and are instead regulated under federal law. Additionally almost all states have legalized gambling in the form of a lottery.
Because contracts of insurance have many features in common with wagers, insurance contracts are often distinguished under law as agreements in which either party has an interest in the "bet-upon" outcome beyond the specific financial terms. E.g.: a “bet” with an insurer on whether one's house will burn down is not gambling, but rather insurance — as the homeowner has an obvious interest in the continued existence of his/her home independent of the purely financial aspects of the "bet" (i.e., the insurance policy).
There is generally legislation requiring that the odds in gaming devices are statistically random, to prevent manufacturers from making some high-payoff results impossible. Since these high-payoffs have very low probability, a house bias can quite easily be missed unless checking the odds carefully.
There are three variables common to all forms of gambling:
How much is being wagered, the initial stake (in
money or material goods).
The predictability of the event.
In mechanical
or electronic gambling such as lotteries, slot machines and bingo, the results
are random and unpredictable; no amount of skill or knowledge (assuming machinery
is functioning as intended) can give an advantage in predictability to anyone.
However, for sports events such as horse racing and soccer matches there is
some predictability to the outcome; thus a person with greater knowledge and/or
skill will have an advantage over others.
The odds agreed between the two
(or more) parties to the wager; where there is a house or a bookmaker, the odds
are (quite legally) arranged in favor of the house.
The expected value, positive
or negative, is a mathematical calculation using these three variables. The amount
wagered determines the scale of an individual wager (bet); the odds and the amount
wagered determine the payout if successful; the predictability determines the
frequency of success. Finally the frequency of success times the payout minus
the amount wagered equals the "expected value" The skill of a gambler
lies in understanding and maneuvering the three variables so that the "actual
value" is positive over a series of wagers.
In the USA the puritans banned gambling early on, including things like dice and such associated with them being frowned on at times. But as time went on it seemed to be able to be done by gentlemen The Virginia Company was allowed lotteries early in its history to fund itself. This lottery was ended as their was a fear it harmed the home country. Gambling pushed very much into the frontier with it very common, and there were the Mississipi River boats with much gambling on them. Traveling emigrants were targets for gambling companies on these journeys as some had much money. In 1835 there were some lynchings in the south of card cheats as by 1830 gambling had become less acceptable than before. Which pushed card sharks onto River Boats. In the California Gold rush there was much gambling with San Francisco a centre for this for a while in the 1850s. Replacing Los Angeles for a while. Son gambling was restriced in California. At teh tuenof the 20th Century this was the case across much of the USA, but from then it became more legal. Mexico in the 19th Century was often a place for US gamblers to go as of restrictions at home.
Online gambling increased in the early 21st Century markedly so a small sector became a major player.
It was from the 1940s that more and more states legalised gambling in common with turning back from 19th Century upsurges in prohibition and such, so by 2007 gambling is more and more legal.
In California blackjack was banned while casinos were legal so the owners had 22 numbers instead of 21. In a new game. Just like that story that 10 pin bowling came about as in 1841 Conneticut banned the sleazy seeming 9 pin bowling halls that were associated with gambling and such. Gambling has seen horse racing and many many gambling types, con artists and super experts.
Many people still feel gambling should
be banned as of it's destructive ways. Some see it as a other form of fun though.
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