10 most bizarre and interesting facts about gambling and casinos

People love to gamble. From ancient China, where basic gambling was shown on tiles, to scenes in Roman pottery where betting on animal fights was mentioned, gambling has existed in one form or another for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Both gambling and casinos offer many myths, legends and stories, sometimes strange, sometimes quite remarkable.

10 PHOTOS

1. King Henry VIII was one of the most unfortunate players in history.

King Henry VIII may have been married six times, but women were not his only vice. He had a constant addiction to gambling. He had a love of dice and cards and made a bet on sports such as archery and dueling. Legend has it that he survived a two-year losing streak that cost him over $ 4,000 (the equivalent of millions today). The king also lost the bells of St Paul's Church in one roll of the dice.

2. You can voluntarily ban yourself from the casino.

Some countries have a self-proclaimed Voluntary Exclusion program for players who want to break their gambling habit and not allow themselves to step on the playground. These are not only land-based casinos where possible. For example, GAMSTOP in the UK allows players to establish controls to restrict online gambling activities. This prevents players from using gaming sites and applications for a certain period of time.

3. No dice - no guilt.

Back in the 20th century, when gambling was still illegal in many states in the United States, craps players played underground to avoid drawing police attention. If a police raid happens, some players will swallow bones. It may sound a little strange, but there was logic in this madness - if they swallowed the bones, it meant that the evidence was hidden. The lack of bones meant that the courts had no actual evidence of gambling, so they could not pass a conviction.

4. You can count cards.

Deploying a card-counting strategy in an attempt to win at blackjack is actually legal. While you may not be technically breaking the law, casinos will try to stop card counting. They may ask you to leave, play a different game, or perhaps kick you out.

5. Citizens of Monaco cannot gamble at Monte Carlo casinos.

The famous Monte Carlo casino is closed to those from Monaco. When Princess Caroline set up the casino in the mid-1800s, she was adamant that the Monegasques were not allowed to enter and that gambling became illegal. This law was created to counter the potential negative impact of commercial gambling on the citizens of Monaco. While this law may seem odd for a country that is renowned for being a gambler's paradise, Monaco's citizens get something in return without having to pay income tax.

6. Casino on wheels.

Birmingham, in the United Kingdom, was home to the world's smallest casino. This tiny casino had no address - it was in the back of a London taxi. The promotional travel casino, owned by casino operator Grosvenor, boasted a gaming table, dealer, casino, and bar. It even had a place to watch sports broadcasts on TV.

7. The first slot machine was invented in a car shop.

The casino was not home to the first slot machine we recognize today, it was the San Francisco auto shop that housed the first slot machine. Back in 1895, mechanic Charles Fey invented the slot machine called the Liberty Bell, giving his customers the opportunity to play while they wait for their machines to be repaired. Due to its high popularity, casinos started buying them. They were created to give players a chance to play when the tables were busy but were soon found to be attractive in their own right.

8. Ferris wheel.

It has long been believed that gambling and superstition are like two peas in a pod, so it cannot be such a coincidence that mystical properties appear on the roulette wheel, which gives it the nickname "Devil's Game."

9. Chances are you will never see a royal flush in your life.

When receiving a Royal Flush, players often feel like they are chasing a mythical beast. The odds of getting the elusive Royal Flush are slim, in fact very small, just 1 in 649,740. These odds boil down to the fact that there are only four possible Royal Flushes in the deck and 2,598,960 possible hands to be dealt with poker. However, you are more likely to see a royal flush in your life than winning the UK National Lottery jackpot, which has odds of 1 in 45,057,474.

10. Gambling saved FedEx from bankruptcy.

FedEx ships over 1.2 billion packages a year. But back in 1973, founder Frederick Smith had to take up gambling to save his company from the brink of bankruptcy. In desperation, Smith flew to Vegas with the company's last $ 5,000 and risked it all in a game of blackjack. Despite what may have been a slightly controversial decision, the gambling paid off, giving Smith $ 27,000. This allowed the struggling company to keep its first profit in 1976. Since then, it has flourished.