Casinos today are more than just games of chance. They’re the biggest hotels, concert venues, theaters and offer a multitude of experiences. A symbol of entertainment and indulgence, modern casino resorts, complete with over-the-top architecture and flamboyance, are on the bucket list of most travel junkies.

While no one is sure where it all started, there are references to games of chance all through history. It was in the early 17th century in Italy that a venue was created that could be remotely associated with the casino of today. Soon such venues appeared in several places in Europe, but it was America that gave the world its first casinos as we know them today, in the form of gambling saloons.

The first few casinos were found in Chicago, San Francisco and New Orleans during the early 20th century. However, it was only in 1931, when gambling was legalized, that everything changed forever. Casinos have evolved a lot since then and we now have casino holidays that are widely popular and there are entire cities that are totally devoted to it.