3000 BCE (approximate)
- Earliest known six-sided dice, in Mesopotamia (northern Iraq). [187.8]
3000 BCE (approximate)
- Egyptian pyramid of Cheops at Gizeh near Cairo includes a tablet recording mythical explanation of extra five days added to Egyptian calendar of 360 days. Thoth, god of night, gambled with the moon, winning five new days to add to the calendar, outside the jurisdiction of Ra, the god of creation. [80.30]
2300 BCE (approximate)
- Emperor Yao of China invents an elaborate game with hundreds of pieces, in which spectators bet on the outcome played by two opponents. [80.31]
About 1500 BCE
- In India, betting herds of cattle on chariot racing and dice games are the chief amusements of the people. [80.33]
529
-
- Emperor of Eastern Roman Empire and head of Orthodox Church Justinian issues the Corpus Juris Civilis of civil and canon law, in which he bans gambling in public and private houses. [187.33]
534
-
- Emperor Justinian issues an addendum to the Corpus Juris Civilis of civil and canon law, decreeing any cleric caught gambling would be suspended and punished. [187.33]
700
-
- Arabian caliph Abdul-Malik lines up the officers of his army in the palace courtyard and has them toss coins to decide which of them would share in the distribution of some of Syria's wealth. [80.62]
818
-
- Louis the Pious, Holy Roman Emperor, rules that any clergy caught gambling would be suspended from office for three years. [187.33]
1120
-
- Playing cards are invented by Chinese emperor's harem, according to 1628 Chinese dictionary Ching-tsze-tung. [187.42]
1190
-
- Kings Richard of England and Philip II of France issue an edict forbidding gambling for money by those below rank of knight during the Third Crusade, allowing kings any gambling, and others are limited to a loss of 20 shillings per day. [80.41] [187.35]
1377
-
- A revision to Paris, France, antigambling law adds cards to list of prohibited games. [187.48]
- Florentine senate passes a resolution regulating the play of a recently introduced card game. [187.48]
- Swiss monk Johannes von Rheinfelden of Basel writes of a newly arrived card game of 52 cards, with four suits. [187.48]
1379
-
- Regensburg, Bavaria, prohibits card games. [187.49]
1394
-
- Duke of Saxony plays a game of cards with the duke of Letzburg for a portion of the forest of Ardennes. [80.42]
1399
-
- The provost of Paris, France, includes card playing in an edict forbidding working people from playing games of chance on working days. [187.49] (1397 [1008.48])
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1416
-
- The Jewish community of Forli in Italy adopts an ordinance forbidding hosting or attending gambling parties. [187.61]
1430
-
- Amadeus VII, duke of Savoy (Italian state), issues an anti-gambling edict. Playing any game for money is forbidden, except women may play cards for "pins", small change. [187.49]
1444
-
- The city of L'Éduce (France) runs a lottery to raise funds to repair the city's walls and fortifications. This is the earliest recorded lottery in which participants pay for a chance to win. Grand prize is 300 florins. [187.84]
1461
-
- Parliament under King Edward IV of England prohibits card and dice games, except for during the 12-day Christmas holiday. [187.64]
1466
- February 14
- First recorded lottery to involve buying of tickets and distribution of prize money, held in Bruges, Belgium, run to raise money for the poor of the town. [80.230]
1485
-
- Two laws are passed in Regensburg, permitting card playing, but not for money. [187.56]
1496
-
- King Henry VII of England forbids the working class from gambling except during the Christmas holiday, when cards could be played. [187.64]
1520
-
- King Francis I of France signs a bill legalizing lotteries in Paris, Lyons, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, and Lille. [80.230] [187.88]
1522
-
- In the Venetian Republic, clothes dealer Geronimo Bambarana begins a lottery on carpet and money prizes for a small entry fee. [187.85]
1530
-
- The first publicly run European lottery commences in Florence, raising money for public works. [39]
1541
-
- King Henry VIII of England prohibits several categories of gaming, including bowling, tennis, dicing, and carding, to encourage men to take up archery for defence. [187.64]
1547
-
- Swiss reformer John Calvin proclaims in a set of church ordinances that no one should play games for gold or silver, but gambling for small sums for recreation is not sinful. [187.63]
1561
-
- Bruges (France) prohibits all private lotteries. [187.84]
1566
-
- The first state lottery is held in England, authorized by Queen Elizabeth I. 400,000 tickets are sold, with top prize worth (equivalent of) US$17,500 (1960s dollars). Purpose of the lottery is to fund repairs for several harbors. [39] [565.49] (1567 [80.231])
1569
- January 11
- The first British royal lottery draw begins, lasting until May 6, drawing every ticket with a name and a corresponding prize ticket. Tickets had been sold since 1566, but only 1/12th of expected 400,000 tickets are sold. Top prize is 1/12 of 5000 pounds Sterling. [1] [187.123] [565.49]
1576
-
- Duke Andrea Doria of Genoa designs a lottery for the selection of five new members of the ruling colleges, Instead of drawing names, each candidate is assigned a number, and five numbers are drawn. [187.86]
1584
-
- Ivan the Terrible of Russia, on his deathbed, plays Boris Godunov at chess for the entire contents of his treasury. [80.38]
1586
- June
- The second British royal lottery draw commences, taking three days to draw all tickets. Main prize is a suit of armor. [187.123]
1591
- March 21
- Pope Gregory XIV issues instruction threatening excommunication for anyone found gambling on the identity of his successor. [565.361] (1590 [80.231])
1612
- June 29
- In England, Virginia Company begins drawing tickets in a lottery sanctioned by King James I to raise funds for the Virginia colony in the New World. The drawing of all tickets ends July 20. [80.42,234] [187.124] [806.15] [807.8]
1621
- March 8
- The King of England issues a proclamation forbidding the Virginia Company from conducting further lotteries. [187.125]
1630
- March 22
- First colonial legislation prohibiting gambling enacted (Boston). [1]
1631
-
- London's first aqueduct water supply is built with funds raised by lottery. [80.42]
1638
-
- The Great Council of the Venetian Republic opens the Ridotto in the San Moisè Palace, the first legal state-sanctioned public gambling house in Europe, the start of the casino industry. [187.95]
1646
-
- Massachusetts passes a law banning gambling in public houses. This is the first such law in the British colonies. [187.140]
1653
-
- Parliament of Ireland orders lands of crushed rebellion insurgents to be disposed of by lottery. [187.129]
1656
-
- In France, a lottery raises funds for a stone bridge over the Seine River in Paris. [187.88]
1660
-
- With the Restoration of King Charles II to the English throne, gambling is allowed by all. [811.25]
1663
-
- The first known text is published on the theory of probability, Liberde Ludo Aleae (The Book on Games of Change), written by Girolamo Cardano, published 87 years after his death. [187.77]
1664
-
- British Parliament passes "An Act against Deceitful, Dishonest, and Excessive Gaming" to restrict gambling as a profession. [187.117]
1665
-
- The first horse racetrack in North America is built on Long Island. [39]
1668
- March 25
- First horse race in America takes place. [1]
1682
-
- William Penn's Great Law prohibits gambling in Pennsylvania. [187.142]
1691
-
- King Louis XIV prohibits by royal decree the Pharao/Pharaon gambling card game in France. [819.3]
1694
-
- British Parliament authorizes a state lottery to raise funds for war versus France. Top prize is 1000 pounds sterling in annual payments. [187.126]
1699
-
- In England, Parliament prohibits non-governmental lotteries, purchase of foreign lottery tickets, and other non-governmental games of chance. [39] [187.126] (1700 [80.241])
1710
-
- The Statute of Anne in English law states that all gambling debts are uncollectible in a court of law, even if the gambling itself was legal. [1008.16]
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