Getting all the backstories and inside info on anything from movie behind-the-scenes to what song lyrics actually mean (and some of the most innocent songs actually have some pretty messed up meanings – looking at you Mmm-bop) is one of our favourite pastimes.
And seeing as how we spend most of our time delving into the exciting world of gambling and casinos, we thought we’d combine these two passions into an educational and fun article for our followers.
Our first list of 5 fun facts was a hit with our South African readers so we went with a Part 2 to bring you even more info about the fascinating world of gambling we all love. Some people may know these facts. Some people may be seeing them for the first time. But we all know that whatever the story, whether we’re online casino fans or land-based players, a little knowledge goes a long way.
Keno has been around for over 2000 years! Details about this popular game were first recorded during the Han dynasty (between 205BC and 187BC) when the region was embroiled in a costly war. Raising money for supplies and weapons became almost impossible as the local population began refusing to support the conflict leading to the invention of the game of Keno. Legend has it that it was developed by a man named Cheung Leung and was originally known as the White Pigeon Game due to the fact that the results were sent out via carrier pigeon.
Very little has changed since the first days of Keno. While today we select from 80 numbers, the early game had 80 Chinese characters selected from the Zhou Xingsi poem The 1,000 Characters.
Also: most of the money that went into constructing the Great Wall of China was raised through Keno.
Keno can be found at some of the CasinoPlay crew’s favourite online casinos like PlayLive, Jackpot and Casino.com.
Cards as we know them today have a long and storied history. The first evidence of playing cards was back in China during the Tang Dynasty around the 9th century (which makes sense seeing as paper and printing were also invented here). As they progressed through the known world, they began to take on characteristics of each individual region until we finally settled on the familiar deck we all know today.
Interestingly, even our modern decks (which are very much based on the French decks) have some fascinating back stories. According to some sources, each suit represents a French societal class: spades for royalty, diamonds for merchants, hearts for the clergy, and clubs for the peasants.
More than 70,000,000 packs of cards are sold worldwide each year!
The face cards are also said to represent famous figures from the historical and fictional past including Lancelot, Hector, Pallas Athena, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and Charlemagne.
You can read more about the History of Paying Cards here.
Las Vegas is deservedly known as the biggest gambling city in the world – right? Not anymore.
Sin City, that iconic monument to neon and games of chance, has been surpassed as the world’s gambling centre. That honour now belongs to Macau, an autonomous region on the south coast of China (ironic seeing as gambling is outlawed in China!).
Macau brings in $45.3 BILLION every year in gambling revenue. It’s estimated that it takes one day for gamblers in Macau to wager the same amount that is wagered in a week at the Las Vegas casinos.
Archie Karas is one of the most famous gamblers in history. This (un)lucky punter hit the casinos of Las Vegas with $50 in December 1992 and went on the longest winning streak in gambling history. His winning streak – known as The Run – started with $50 in his wallet and a $10,000 loan, lasted six months and ended up with him winning $40 MILLION!
So why do we include him as the biggest loser? He blew it all in three weeks!
We’ve all the seen the sign. It adorns postcards, can be seen in magazines and on movie screens. It’s an icon, a testament and monument to the city of excess:
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada
Except…the sign isn’t actually in Las Vegas.
Yep, that globally recognised symbol ushering you into the glitziest glam city of all is, in reality, located about four miles south of the city of Las Vegas – in a town called Paradise.
Maybe THAT’S why Guns ‘n Roses penned their chart-topping hit and called it Paradise City and not SIN City?
And to really rub salt into the wound and destroy everything we hold dear in our gambler’s hearts: the famous Las Vegas Strip, home to the most famous casinos in the world and a magnet to anyone who really takes their wagering seriously? It’s also not on Las Vegas!
Well, to be fair and accurate (like all our online casinos should be) it’s only MOST of the 4.2-mile Strip (and the most famous resorts) that are technically within the city limits of – you guessed it – Paradise.
This has been fun. Almost as much fun as getting cost with a mug of hot chocolate and our favourite online casinos this winter. In fact, we have uncovered so many cool facts and stats that we’re going to go ahead and start on a 5 Fun facts Part 3 just as soon as we’ve finished our latest slots tournament.
Of all the facts that we dig up, our most valuable one is that you can have fun and even make a little money IF you gamble responsibly and play at a licensed and trusted online casino. Our Reviews section will give you all the facts you need to know about online and mobile casinos the CasinoPlay trusts and recommends so pay us a visit here.
And if you have any interesting facts, stats, or stories you think our fans would enjoy, please send them to us via the contact sheet on our Contact Us page.
