When discussing the history of casinos, it is impossible not to touch upon the history of gambling in Australia. After all, it is this people that is considered the most gambling in the world. In the course of the research, it was found that on average an Australian can spend 1,300 dollars a year on gambling.
The emergence of gambling in Australia
And gambling was born in the country as soon as the first settlers visited the continent, which is not surprising - Australia was originally a British colony for criminals who are known for their penchant for gambling. Inveterate gamblers and drunkards - convicts, were able to instill that very passion throughout Australia. Gambling was also popular with officers and the working population. Initially, even the government, like in all other countries, tried to prohibit gambling among the population by introducing penalties. But in the end, due to problems with the drunkenness of the population and illegal sales of alcohol, they began to turn a blind eye to gambling.
The first gambling entertainment of Australians was horse racing - a "legacy" from Britain. By the beginning of the 20th century, large hippodromes were already in every city, the rates were simply fabulous - due to the specific features of the contingent that entered Australia, the "middle class" disappeared very quickly in the country - society was divided into those who managed to seize power and resources (that is, the extremely wealthy) and those who lived near the poverty line.
In 1880, the next stage in the spread of gambling appeared - the lottery. It is noteworthy that for a very long time only one company, Tattersall, was engaged in organizing lotteries (this was due to government bans). Lotteries very quickly became popular among all segments of the population, which subsequently led to their complete legalization. By the end of the 19th century, such forms of gambling as card games, sports betting, including horse racing, were available.
Slot machines appeared in Australia in 1956, even earlier than the first legal casino, which opened only in 1973. A wave of sets swept the continent - soon popular slot machines could be found everywhere: in gambling houses, cafes, bars. And subsequently, this figure only grew - at the moment, about 25% of all slot machines in the world are located in Australia.
The first casino was said to have opened in 1973. The motives that guided the country's authorities in legalizing casinos are quite understandable - the country needed to increase financial investments from the tourism sector. This has borne fruit - now Australia is one of the most popular countries in the world among players. The largest gaming complex is Crown Entertainment, with over 350 gaming tables and 5,000 slot machines on its territory.
Casinos in Australia
Despite this loyalty to gambling, gambling houses were banned until 1973 due to the perception that they were difficult to control. After opening the question of what needs to be done in order to best attract tourists and fill the treasury, the government decided to legalize the casino. The cost of gambling, with the advent of the casino, immediately increased, and the locals really enjoyed playing in the casino.
Australia has about 20 chic and large casinos, of which the top three can be distinguished: the Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex, the Star City casino complex, and the Konrad Jupiters complex.
Currently, Australians are considered the most gambling people in the world - on average, about $ 1,500 is spent per person per year (this is the highest figure among all countries in the world), and this is not counting online casinos (there are a lot of players from Australia on popular sites). In addition, there are about twenty legal casinos in Australia (the number of underground gambling houses is difficult to imagine), as well as over twenty thousand slot machines (more than a hundred per Australian resident). The gaming industry brings the economy of the country over $ 20 billion a year - a very solid figure, given the population of Australia itself (about 24 million people).
Author: Bob Gilbert
