History of Gambling in Canada

Everything began to be liberalized in the 18th century: lotteries and casinos. Slot machines came later. They were banned at the beginning of the 19th century but were authorized in 1988. Finally, in the 2000s, the Internet burst onto the scene and made things more developed with online games such as poker, baccarat, and blackjack followed by other forms of gambling, and then gambling addictions that never stop evolving.

Each province has some autonomy

In Europe, gambling is regulated at the national level. This is not the case in Canada, however, where gambling is regulated on a regional basis. Each province in Canada has an opportunity to manage its policy on this point independently as well as to create its own casinos or even online gaming rooms. This legislation has been in place in Canada since early 2010 and not only allows citizens to gamble legally while limiting the risk of scams but also ensures that the winnings generated by online gambling platforms return to the provinces instead of going abroad.

While physical casinos and online poker or betting sites do not pose the slightest problem in Canada, it is more complicated for online casinos. In practice, nothing prevents a Canadian player from playing at an online casino. However, for a Canadian company, it is normally prohibited to offer such a site. However, there is an exemption for the Kahnawake Reserve. The Kahnawake Reserve is located in the province of Quebec and is the location of all online casino servers operating in Canada. So, unlike other gambling jurisdictions, online casinos are not subject to any regionalization.

Baccarat is one of the oldest casino games and has always been considered a table game for the elite.

To say exactly when and where baccarat was invented would be pretentious. Indeed, opinions differ, some claiming that the origins of the game date back to the Middle Ages, others maintaining that the game only appeared in the 15th century. According to the first hypothesis, the nobles were already playing baccarat in their castles, but with tarot cards.

This hypothesis, which is not unanimously accepted, is opposed to the one according to which the game was created in Italy at the beginning of the 15th century, a period for which accounts of the game have been found, evoking, in particular, the exploits of a great Italian player by the name of Felix Falguerein. This hypothesis is reinforced by the original meaning of the word baccarat: “zero” or “nothing” in Italian. The name is said to be related to the fact that face cards and tens have a zero value in the game.

Despite the years, baccarat has kept its very elitist side. Indeed, in land-based casinos, access to the tables is still reserved for the rather wealthy. A classy outfit is therefore required before entering these areas. In order to circumvent this aspect and to give access to the game to the masses, the casino owners have developed during the ’80s, the mini-baccarat. The rules are identical, but the stakes are lower, the players can be relaxed, and the game is less formal.

Today, baccarat is one of the most popular games in both land-based and online casinos.

Blackjack is absolutely one of the most popular games whose origin is controversial. Some researchers claim that the game originated in France, while others claim that its country of origin is Spain. Whatever its origin, there is no doubt that blackjack is one of the most played gambling games in land-based and online casinos.

One theory states that the game originated from a game known as Vingt-et-un, which was very popular in French casinos in the 17th century. Although it was very similar to blackjack and its main objective was to reach 21 points, its rules were not exactly the same. In Vingt-et-un, only the dealer could double the bet and the player was obliged to bet after each deal.

Another theory is that blackjack is a variant of a Spanish game known as Veintiuna, which means Twenty-one in Spanish. The first written evidence was found in the Novelas Ejemplares, a book written by Miguel De Cervantes. The object of Veintiuna was, like blackjack, to have a hand totalling 21 points without going over and the ace was worth 1 or 11 points.

Interestingly, when blackjack was first introduced in North America, it quickly gained popularity because casinos offered large welcome bonuses. Its first name was Twenty One and was used in New Orleans.

In 1931, Nevada legalized gambling and Las Vegas became the most popular gambling place in the world.

Once you have created a player account, you can begin your adventure into the world of gambling. Whether you prefer standard blackjack or live blackjack with a video feed from a physical dealer, both are available! By playing online, you transfer the atmosphere of a land-based casino anywhere, anytime.

Some online casinos offer a trial period if you don’t want to create an account or bet money. A word of advice, take advantage of this free period to practice as much as possible and to test all the blackjack variants of your choice before you make any real bets.

The history of poker seems to be as obscure as the manner in which one inevitably manages to win at this game, which is considered to be “semi-hasard”. Some attribute Persian origins to it, hypothesizing that poker comes from Nas, a game played in 16th century Persia.

Indeed, in the memory of historians, this was the first game in which bluffing was authorized, one might even say imposed.

Others think that the European game Primero, which also appeared in the 16th century, is the ancestor of poker because the bets were of different values and there were hands such as pairs, three of a kind, and three cards of the same suit, which were called “flux”. The English term ‘flush’ corresponds today to the hand we call ‘suit’.

In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte sold Louisiana to the United States for 80 million francs (in reparation for French piracy on American ships in the 1790s). Following this sale, poker experienced a tremendous expansion and gradually spread throughout the United States.

The American Civil War (1861-1865) allowed Northern soldiers to discover the game as they entered the South. As a result, many of them played draw and stud poker in the trenches.

During the 1980s, betting limits appeared at the initiative of casinos in the USA and Canada. Indeed, until then, poker was played in No Limit, which continues to be the case in Europe where the English auction is also preferred: the Pot Limit.

At the dawn of the 21st century, there are many variations of this (perhaps) most played game in the world. So whether you play it at home with your friends, in a casino or on the Internet, there is no doubt that you will enjoy it.