Classification of gambling. Gambling from A to Z

08.01.2019

Gambling attracts people from different parts of the world with the opportunity to win money or other material assets. The prospect of getting rich quickly tempts many citizens. Therefore, they play in land-based casinos and online sites.

If you enter the query “best gambling games” in the Google search bar, then in many pop-up materials the reader will find the answer that in different countries Lotteries are popular among players, slot machines, card games, roulette, craps, sports betting and other types of gambling. If you watch TV, then most often you can find such types of gambling as “Wheel of Fortune” and lotteries according to bingo rules.

Let’s figure out which gambling games are the most popular today and what their features are.

1. Lottery

The lottery is a game of chance, the principle of which is based solely on chance. A person will become a winner if the generator random numbers will give out the numbers that are indicated on his ticket.

Lotteries attract players with the opportunity to win large sums of money. Sometimes jackpots are in the millions and even billions.

In Russia, a record lottery win is considered to be the case when a pensioner from the Voronezh region became the owner of 506 million rubles. The largest jackpot in US history was won in October 2018. It amounted to $1.6 billion.

2. Gambling on slot machines

The peculiarity of slot machines is that they are played without the participation of casino representatives.

Previously, slot machines were mechanical. Now they are computerized. The game field is a screen on which the results of the random number generator are displayed.

During the game, a person rotates the drum. He wins money when he manages to match the same symbols in a line. The player can receive a win that significantly exceeds the bet amount.

3. Betting

Betting is betting on the outcome of some event in order to make a profit.

Sports betting allows players to predict who will win a competition and receive a cash reward for making the correct prediction. Bets on the results are accepted by online and offline bookmakers.

In this type of gambling, a player, by studying statistics and analyzing the previous performance of a team or athletes, can increase his chances of winning.

4. Poker

Some players call this card game a sport, since the possibility of winning depends not only on chance, but also on a person’s intellectual abilities and psychological skills.

Poker can be played by two or more people at the same time. Depending on the type of this card game, there are several phases of gameplay. At the beginning of each of them, participants must place a bet if they are ready to continue playing. Also, at each phase, new cards are distributed. After receiving them, players determine whether they make a new bet or leave the game.

The winner is the player who collects the best combination of cards.

A participant can also win by bluffing. To do this, having not the best combination of cards in hand, the player must continue to place bets. At the same time, by his actions and appearance he must convince his opponents otherwise. Other players in such a situation, fearing being left without winnings, refuse to participate in subsequent poker phases.

5. Blackjack

The rules of blackjack are quite simple. First, players place bets. The dealer then gives them two cards and one or two for himself. Each card means a certain number of points. The player's task is to score 21 points or the number as close as possible to this indicator. To achieve this goal, he can draw any number of cards.

When a player rolls 21 points, he wins. If there are more than 21 points, then the participant is considered defeated. His bet goes into the casino's budget.

6. Baccarat

The rules of baccarat are similar to blackjack. All participants are dealt two cards. The player must score a combination equal to 9, or a score as close as possible to this number. The player will be given a third card if he was able to score less than five points with the first two.

Bets from participants are accepted on a player, a bank or a draw.

7. Roulette

Now this type of gambling is popular in land-based gambling clubs and online casinos.

The European roulette wheel is divided into 37 sectors. They are marked with numbers from 1 to 36 and 0. There are 36 cells on the playing field: 18 red, 18 black numbers and “zero”. They are arranged in three rows. During the game, the ball is thrown onto a concave rotating drum, which is divided into slots with numbers. When the roulette stops spinning, the ball stops in one of the cells with the corresponding number. This number becomes the winning number.

The essence of this type of gambling is that the player bets on where the ball will land.

In American roulette, there are 38 numbers on the wheel - from 1 to 36, as well as 0 and 00. In this regard, this type of gambling is often called double zero roulette.

8. Bingo

In this type of gambling, the possibility of winning depends only on chance.

Participants in the game are given cards, each of which depicts a unique set of random numbers. Then the lottery machine is launched with balls with numbers on them. The numbers appear in random order.

If the dropped number is on your card, then it must be indicated. To become a winner, the player must match one of the combinations on the card: in a horizontal or vertical row, diagonally, numbers in the form geometric figure and other options. When this happens, he must shout: “Bingo!”

This type of gambling is played among family or friends, in special bingo clubs and in tournaments. In Russia, television lotteries are held according to bingo rules.

9. Craps

This is a game of dice. Craps is considered one of the most ancient forms of gambling.

The essence of the game is that participants place bets on what number will appear when throwing a six-sided die - a dice, during a series of throws or when throwing several dice. Participants can place bets on winning or losing.

10. "Wheel of Fortune"

The game format, in which participants spin a reel to win money or prizes, is common on television and in online casinos.

Participants place bets on various sectors. After this, the wheel is started, which most often rotates vertically. Such a drum is divided into several sectors. Each of them has a designation. This could be a win amount, a wild, a prize indicator, or a symbol. When the wheel stops spinning, the pointer stops at one of the symbols. Players who bet on it become winners. Or in this way they determine the prize for which the players will compete during the intellectual competition.

In Russia there is an analogue of “Wheel of Fortune” - the TV game “Field of Miracles”.

Bottom line

Gambling games are varied. There are types of gambling that force players to rely only on luck, and there are games where the result also depends on a person’s skills. In any case, everyone can find a suitable type of gambling for themselves. However, it is important to remember that during the game the main thing is to stop in time so as not to lose all the money or go into the red.

Gambling has been around for centuries and is disturbing the peace. gambling people who want to get a dose of adrenaline in their blood and an emotional explosion of their emotions.

What types of games are there?

Slot machines, which are presented in all online casinos and work according to the program built into the machine. This program has a set acceptable winning percentage for each machine depending on the individual program. Slot machines are extremely popular among gambling shackles

Bookmakers provide their services in the form of bets and betting on sports competitions, public polls and political events. The player places a bet at a bookmaker's office or on a bookmaker's website. Bookmakers offer the opportunity to bet during the competition.

Lotteries, quizzes, drawings

All of these activities are carried out by the government or licensed commercial firms. This type of gambling has been known since the 6th century, but did not become popular due to the meager chance of winning.

Casinos that offer various types slots and gaming machines. Super Slots has a large selection of games that will entice anyone. In some countries there are gaming zones: Monaco, Las Vegas, Macau. Many online gaming casinos have appeared on the Internet where you can play without registering or even leaving your home.

Game categories

All gambling games can be divided into two categories: the first are those games where the player can only rely on luck, and the second, in which one must have some knowledge. Games in which there is a luck factor include lotteries, slot machines, and roulette. Gambling games in which you can apply your knowledge include bookmakers, betting, and poker.

Cash bets are a sine qua non of gambling. Easy money is what attracts gamblers. For 15 years, all players were divided into two camps. Some play the old fashioned way, in gaming halls, and participate in various tournaments. Others keep up with modern times and prefer to play in online casinos.

Bans on gambling

In many countries, including Russia, the law prohibits the opening of gaming halls, so the owners of real casinos moved to the Internet, where many online casinos appeared in its vastness, where you can choose a slot machine without registering and play for free, which attracts many players, both beginners and experienced players.

Conclusion:

The owners of former casinos have found another way to legally organize a game for gambling enthusiasts. Private, closed clubs began to open everywhere, accessible only with a membership card. To set up such a club, you do not need special equipment in the form of slot machines; you only need poker tables and a cozy, calm environment in which card game lovers conduct their games and tournaments.

At the casino you can be offered to play a variety of gambling games. Each game has its own rules, including etiquette rules. In addition, the casino has special equipment for each game.

Equipment means the croupier’s working equipment: chips, gambling table, dice, cards, etc.

... Some games were invented not so long ago. Thus, only some casinos in the USA offer to play the “catch the wave” game. It is not yet popular in Russia.

All casino games are based on the process of the player confronting the bank, on whose behalf the gambling house acts. Most of the games have their own varieties, characteristic of each specific gambling house, so, perhaps, it makes no sense to describe them in detail, but it would be useful to list some games that are traditionally played in Western and now in Russian casinos, of course, if they They do not deliberately exclude them from the list of offered entertainment.

So, in a casino you may be offered to play the following games:

– roulette – European, American, French;

– card games – blackjack and its varieties, poker and its varieties, drill, craps, baccarat and its varieties, stos, “casino war”, “red dog”;

– bones – sik, bo;

– dominoes – pai gow;

– wheel of fortune;

– keno (a type of lotto);

– slot machines.

... The games you will be offered to play at the casino vary in difficulty. So, the most difficult is considered to be Pai Gow, which requires dominoes, and the simplest is a card game called “casino war”.

You can find out the actual rules of each particular casino regarding the game you are interested in directly during the game or from the instructions, which are necessarily present in the establishment and are easily accessible for study. However, if you have decided to plunge into the world of gambling for the first time, it will be useful for you to learn about their four main types.

Card games

There are a great variety of card games, and not all of them are played in casinos.

Standard cards currently have a rectangular shape and are marked according to the four suits: diamonds, spades, hearts and clubs.

In common parlance they are respectively called diamonds, spades, hearts and crosses. However, occasionally there are card decks with five or even six suits.

... Among players, it is customary to call a sharper an artist, a player who is well acquainted with the tricks of sharpers, a white-washed sucker, and a deck playing cards- the Bible.

Each card has a back (wrong side) and face. The back of all cards in the deck is the same.

A set of cards is usually called a deck. Decks are small (32 cards, 7 to Ace in each suit), medium (36 cards, 6 to Ace) and large (52 cards, 2 to Ace).

Among the card games in casinos, the most popular are baccarat, poker and blackjack, of course, in different versions.

Poker

Poker appeared around 1835 in the USA and is one of the most common card games. It is usually not the luckiest person who wins in poker, but the most calculating and cold-blooded one.

... Even if you have perfectly mastered several varieties of poker, still take an interest in the rules of the game adopted in this casino. They may differ from the generally accepted ones, although these differences are minor. This primarily applies to six-card draw poker.

Poker can be played by 2 to 10 players. The winner is the one who collects the best combination from his cards and breaks the bank. The rules of poker are quite simple; you only need to remember the names and seniority of the combinations that need to be collected.

The varieties of poker are Stud Poker, Russian Poker, Six Card Draw Poker, European Poker, Texas Poker, Omaha Poker, Joker Poker, Three Card Poker, Match Poker, Walking Poker, Pai Gow Poker. They differ in rules and some other conditions. Thus, the peculiarity of Russian poker is that if a player manages to collect two winning combinations, both of them are paid.

In conclusion, we can add that most of the varieties of poker appeared after 2000.

Blackjack

Blackjack (twenty-one, point) is one of the most exciting card games. Unfortunately, this particular game is very easy to cheat, which is why professional cheaters often play it.

Nothing is known exactly where this game first appeared. The birthplace of blackjack is called France, Italy, and the USA. Be that as it may, the game gained the greatest popularity in America, where the scientific theory of this game was also developed.

... When playing blackjack, the theory of probability works not for the bank, but for the player, which is why this game is so popular in many countries around the world, including Russia.

Blackjack can be played by any number of players with two large decks. At the end of each game, points are counted to determine the winner. Varieties of blackjack include blackjack switch, European blackjack, Spanish twenty-one, pontoon, and oasis.

Baccarat

The origins of baccarat are still unclear. Presumably, its roots should be sought in France, in the city where high-quality crystal is produced, which has the same name. However, many believe that this game first appeared in Spain. However, the name of the game comes from the Italian “baccara”, which means “zero”. Be that as it may, in the 19th century. Baccarat came to Russia and quickly gained popularity among aristocrats. Currently, this game is very popular in Europe and Asia, but in Russia and the USA it is not played so often, as they consider it not profitable enough.

... Both baccarat and punto banco should be played on dedicated tables, but a blackjack table can also be used if desired.

The good thing about baccarat is that it can be played by an unlimited number of people. In this case, two large decks are used, each with 52 cards. The score goes by points. A variation of baccarat is the game punto banco. It first appeared in Las Vegas casinos in the 1920s. and very quickly gained popularity, since it is much faster to play than baccarat.

Rules of conduct during a card game

Well, what can we say about the rules of etiquette that reign among card players?

Unfortunately, while gambling, not all people are able to keep their mouths shut without dumping on their neighbors the burden of disappointment and anger, hidden under the guise of the most common obscene language. However, most players believe that inappropriate behavior and foul language at the poker, blackjack and baccarat tables should be stopped. Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine exactly when violators of ethical standards begin to cross the boundaries of what is permitted, because each person has his own concept of social norms. Some consider it indecent to wave your arms, others are sure that this is a completely decent addition to the conversation.

To find out what behavior the players themselves consider uncivilized, a special survey of 3 thousand card game fans was conducted in the West. It turned out the following: 54% of poker players believe that the game should not become an excuse for splashing out manifestations of negative emotions on people around them, and 46% of respondents are confident that a card game without swearing loses all its charm.

... Many players like to talk during a card game, but should they? When surveying casino regulars, it turned out that the majority of players think this is correct. Others find the constantly muttering and restless players annoying. Therefore, in order to avoid becoming a victim of bad manners and irritation of your neighbors, try to raise your voice as little as possible during the game.

As can be seen from the survey results, the times when indecent behavior of players at the card table was considered a typical occurrence are gradually becoming a thing of the past, and poker and other card games are turning from the favorite pastime of criminals into the game of intelligent people.

93% of respondents responded positively to the question of whether players who violated the ban on foul language should be given a preliminary warning, and only punitive sanctions should be taken after a repeated violation. And only 7% of players consider this unnecessary. Thus, it is obvious that the suppression of manifestations of rudeness and antisocial behavior in casinos should be carried out gently and gradually so as not to cause a wave of indignation.

From the same survey, sociologists found that approximately 40% of players consider joyful swearing when big win appropriate and justified.

The remaining 60% do not agree with them, believing that even joyful emotions overwhelming a person do not give him the right to overstep the bounds of decency.

... Roughly half of casino patrons believe that taunting and taunting add spice to card games, especially poker. Surprisingly, in European countries, where card games are played in silence, with the exception of the obligatory remarks, many players find such a game boring. That is, methods of intimidation and intimidation make the game more interesting.

Approximately 61% of players are confident that a card game combines excitement, exchange of information, interesting conversation and manifestations of peculiar humor. That is, you need to have a conversation at the card table in order to get to know your opponents better and just have a good time. Others believe that you should play in complete silence in order to better calculate your moves and not be distracted by extraneous thoughts.

In a casino, the most striking manifestations of excitement are perhaps associated with the roulette wheel. This stereotype has become so firmly ingrained in people’s minds that many consider roulette to be the main and most profitable game at the casino. However, in fact, even in the largest gambling house there are only a few tables where roulette is installed.

The roulette table is equipped with a rotating circle, which is called roulette, and a playing field, which is specially marked for bets. Players place bets, the dealer spins the wheel and throws the ball. When the roulette wheel stops, the player who placed the chips on the number drawn receives the winnings.

French roulette

This type of roulette is the oldest. On its basis, European and American roulette were subsequently created. Currently, this kind of roulette is played in the most reputable European casinos in Monte Carlo, Baden-Baden, etc.

... Bets can be placed either with casino chips or with special roulette chips.

European roulette

It was invented by Francois Blanc in the 19th century. He took French roulette as a basis and simply removed the double zero from it, thereby increasing the players' chances of winning. Very soon his invention became very popular throughout Europe, including in France. Soon Charles Grimaldi, Prince of Monaco, hired Blanc, and since then such roulettes have appeared in Monte Carlo.

The European roulette wheel has 37 holes, only one of which is zero. The numbers on the wheel are arranged randomly.

American Roulette

American roulette is quite different from European roulette. Firstly, the American roulette wheel is divided into 38 holes, two of which represent zero (zero), and secondly, on the American roulette wheel the numbers are arranged in a certain sequence. Moreover, if you add up consecutive numbers of the same color in American roulette, the total will definitely be 37.

Rules of conduct when playing roulette

When playing roulette, to look cultured, try to follow the following rules.

You should not try to scatter your chips across all 36 cells of the gambling table in order to be sure to win. According to the rules of casino etiquette, the maximum you can do is fold a transversal - the so-called 6-cell horizontal.

Place the chips on the table margins carefully to avoid confusion. This will primarily benefit you.

Place your bets immediately after the dealer throws a ball onto the roulette wheel. Don't delay your final decision. If you think that as the ball slows down, you will be able to at least roughly guess where it will stop, give up that thought. While the wheel is moving, it is impossible to accurately calculate the number at which the ball will stop. But your slowness will make the most unfavorable impression on the croupier and other players, and will also attract the attention of the security guards who are monitoring everything that happens at the gambling table using video cameras.

... According to statistics, in Western casinos approximately 45% of casino visitors play blackjack, 30% play slot machines, 8% play craps and only 2% play roulette.

Once the dealer has said, “Bets are in,” there is no point in placing bets or trying to place chips on the table and hoping no one will notice. Security will very quickly explain to you the fallacy of this point of view.

Talk less while playing. Do not ask others how long they have been playing, who is winning, what numbers are better to bet on, who won the biggest amount, why the dealer is holding the ball in his hands, etc. If you have a substantive question, politely and quietly ask the dealer at a time when he is not busy.

Do not start conversations on abstract topics with the dealer, so as not to interfere with him doing his job - counting the chips, spinning the wheel, throwing the ball and ensuring that the rules are followed. The dealer, as part of his duty, is obliged to explain to the player incomprehensible points regarding the rules of the game, and not to discuss the weather and mood with you.

To create a good impression on the dealer when you receive your first win, give him one not very large and not very small chip. This is the tradition.

Dice

Dice is one of the oldest games of chance. Presumably, dice first appeared in Asia, where they were used primarily for playing backgammon. According to another version, dice appeared thanks to the Greek warrior Palamedes, who took part in the Trojan War.

When playing dice, there is room for maneuver in the area of ​​cheating. Experienced swindlers play with their own dice, specially prepared for this purpose. Fortunately, nowadays, thanks to the vigilant security and video surveillance system of the casino, it is difficult for cheaters to use cheating dice and other tricks in their arsenal.

... The name “bones” apparently came from the fact that initially people played with figures carved from animal bones.

During the game of dice, players usually get into an excited state when all common sense thoughts about the need to maintain good manners go to the side. But if you don’t want to be kicked out of the establishment for antisocial behavior, still try to control yourself. Don't throw a tantrum, don't throw bones on the floor out of frustration and don't trample them under your feet. Don't shout at the dealer, because he is not to blame for your successes and failures.

Remember that fortune is fickle. If you are unlucky today, you will be lucky tomorrow, so you shouldn’t inflate an accidental loss to the size of a full-fledged scandal. Casino players should never lose their cool under any circumstances. The most unforgivable mistake for any player is discussing someone else's game. If you humiliated another person with your comments, you will have to answer for the insult outside the gaming table.

To get rid of unnecessary stress, calm your nerves and clear your throat, it is best to take a break from the game, go to a bar, have a cold drink and maybe chat with some of the other visitors.

If you are a woman and, having come to a bar, you are faced with the fact that another player wants to treat you, take it for granted. An unspoken rule of etiquette: the woman chooses, the man treats.

... If you are offered a drink at a bar, under no circumstances hint, much less say, that you will pay for your drink yourself. A man who wants to treat you may take this as a hint that he is not able to buy a cocktail, while he wants to appear to you as a kind of lucky gambler who just hit a big bank and can afford anything.

Slot machines with cash prizes

Slot games are based on random matching of symbols. Their rules are very simple, and the winnings cannot be predicted in advance, which makes slot machines an excellent bait for gamblers who are not professional gamblers.

The simplest games, where everything depends on luck, are slots, that is, slot machines. This game comes in several varieties and has been popular for a long time.

It is generally accepted that the inventor of the world's first slot machine is Charles Fey. This American engineer in 1885 designed and made a fairly simple mechanism called the “Bell of Independence.” From that moment on, slot machines began their victorious march, first across the United States, then across Europe, and then reached Russia. Today, slot machines of various modifications have penetrated into gambling houses and salons in most countries of the world.

Many global companies are engaged in the production of slots, constantly creating new modifications. Today, casinos install several types of slot machines with cash winnings. These are video slot, video poker, electronic stimulants, multi-games, pachinko and pillar.

Gambling has burst into online space over the past few years, especially in countries with stricter laws. Moreover, their choice varied from online casinos, sports betting to online stock trading. Users can now gamble from the comfort of their homes or even on their mobile phones, which leads to the emergence of a new type of drug addict. The online gaming industry is under enormous pressure to pass laws to restrict their activities, and activists are protesting that this is unethical. All this has caused a lot of debate. However, online casino gambling is booming.

1.Online Casino
Online casino is online partner typical land-based casino. They offer basic casino games such as , baccarat, roulette and slot machines. Online casinos usually offer bonuses and special packages to attract new players. Online virtual casinos are the latest form of entertainment that enhances the user experience by offering real-time games against real players. You can try your luck at the casino yourself "Volcano Russia".

2. Online sports betting
Online sports betting has also been hit hard by brick-and-mortar online casinos, especially in the US and Europe. Online sports betting involves placing bets on sporting events, such as a popular upcoming football match. Online sports betting sites will provide information about the event along with what bets can be placed.

3. A combination of both
Some gaming sites only offer online casino games such as , barracat, roulette and more. Online gaming sites that mainly offer sports betting, usually have a small section with popular casino games. Players can switch to casino games while waiting for their sports match. This keeps the customer on the same page.

23.06.2015 NewsOfGambling

In addition to the well-known types of gambling in casinos, there are those that cannot be classified as generally accepted - exotic ones. When you mention this phrase, the first thing that comes to mind is something unusual, originally from the Asian region. But as a rule, the most exotic gambling comes from developed countries.

Exotic gambling is not known to a wide audience. Some of them are considered illegal. But the danger of being caught only adds to the adrenaline.

So what is exotic gambling? What types of such exotics can be found in different countries?

Race

One of the oldest games of chance is betting on the winner of a race. People love to argue about who will reach the finish line first. If you're bored at the racetrack or horse racing, check out these types of races that accept cash bets.

Kyōtei

Although the Japanese are considered perhaps the most gambling nation in the world, gambling is generally prohibited in the Land of the Rising Sun. There are only a few exceptions, one of them is Kyotei. This is a race on high-speed motor boats, held on artificial lakes shaped like an oval 600 m long.

Approximately one in ten speedboat pilots is a woman. Therefore, Kyotei is the only sport of this level in which women compete on an equal basis with men. Although the racing rules give them a significant head start - the minimum permissible weight for a male pilot is 50 kg, and for women - only 47 kg. For high-speed boats with super-powerful motors, these three kilograms of weight play a significant role.

Cockroach race

It is difficult to say which sport is older - horse racing or cockroach racing. But you can accurately determine where there is more excitement and unpredictability. Insects are practically untrainable, so raising a favorite cockroach is almost impossible.

This game is popular all over the world, but Australians love it most; they even hold official championships that are broadcast on television. Germany is in second place, and the USA is in third place. Of course, insect races are also held in third world countries in Asia and Africa, but the bet amounts and turnover of this market are so small that they can only be compared with one small cockroach club in Australia.

The most prized are the large cockroaches of the Gromphadorhina (Madagascar hissing) breed. For an adult female of this species, a pet store in Berlin can charge up to €100. There are three main types of cockroach racing rules.

Unlimited running

Insects themselves choose how and where to run. To equalize distances in all directions, cockroaches are released in the center of the circle. The insect that gets out of this circle first wins. Sometimes cockroach owners are allowed to urge their pets with sticks or other means. The only condition is not to crush your opponents' cockroaches. It is this type that is most popular in Australian clubs.

Running on the tracks

Cockroaches are placed on straight tracks along which they must run to the finish line in a straight line. For insects, running in a straight line is unnatural; they strive to go beyond the path or turn back. These rules are most popular in the USA and Germany, especially in underground clubs. The first major cockroach races on tracks were organized by students from the Department of Etymology at Loyola University in Maryland.

Moving cargo

Carts with loads are tied to cockroaches or they are harnessed to miniature harnesses, forcing them to pull a load whose weight can exceed the weight of the insect itself. Similar competitions in the USA are often held at children's parties.

Greyhound racing

It would be more correct to call this type of gambling greyhound racing, because in the vast majority of cases representatives of this particular breed compete. The first officially registered greyhound racing took place in Hendon, England, in 1876. Since then, this entertainment has spread throughout the world and has taken second place in popularity among betting fans, after equestrian sports.

The biggest surge in popularity occurred after World War II, with 34 million viewers registered as bettors in the United States in 1946. Legislators equated greyhound racing with equestrian sports, so betting on dogs was not subject to numerous prohibitive laws.

Greyhound racing is very popular in Australia; each province of this country has one or even several specialized sports associations and government regulators. New Zealand is not far behind its neighbor - up to 700 greyhounds are bred there every year for racing, and the size of the betting industry is estimated at 75 million New Zealand dollars. In the UK, this figure is even higher - £75 million. In the USA, the popularity of greyhound racing is currently not better times– Every year the industry reports a decline in rates and profits.

Nowadays, animal activists are very actively opposed to greyhound racing - after all, a greyhound can only go on the track at the age of 4 to 6 years. Upon reaching this age, the owners keep the champions only for breeding.

Fights

What could be more interesting than a good race? Only an intense battle in which participants fight for the right to stay alive. Of course, nowadays killing in the ring is prohibited in all countries of the world, so widespread got fights in which animals, not people, take part.

cockfight

Back in the days of the Roman Empire, this type of gambling became widespread. Gladiators rarely fought, and not everyone could get into the amphitheater. And fights between birds could be held anywhere, this spectacle could be watched, and all social strata of the population could place bets. And the very first mentions of betting on roosters date back to 4000 BC. e. - they were made in ancient Persia and India.

There are two types of cockfighting - with the use of additional weapons and without it. In the first case, the birds are given sharpened steel spurs, with the help of which they kill their opponents much faster. The rules regulate the length of these spurs. In some states of India, rooster owners sharpen the bird's natural bone spur to a sharpness that can be compared to a knife blade.

Cockfighting is popular all over the world, especially in Central and South America. Even in communist Cuba, such competitions are held during the cold season - from November to April. In Mexico, fights are so popular that they are even held in large concert halls.

Cock fighting is no less widespread in Asia. Even in Muslim Pakistan, where gambling is prohibited not only by state law from 1977 but also by the Koran, cockfights attract thousands of spectators. The police also come to look at them and, according to an unspoken rule, “do not notice” the process of accepting bets.

In most countries, cockfighting is completely or partially prohibited. In the United States, last year Barack Obama signed the Farm Bill, which, among other things, completely prohibited the organization of fighting among animals. Thus, he handed over a large sector of the gambling market to Latin American gangs.

Dog fighting

Unlike cockfights, dog fights are not as widely popular, although they are no less spectacular and interesting. It is worth noting that most fighting dog breeds do not inflict mortal wounds on each other during a fight. Their fights can be compared more to boxing than to a gladiator fight. For male dogs, it is more important to suppress the opponent morally, and not to tear him to shreds. Only some breeds of dogs are specially bred and trained to fight to the death, but such fights are rather the exception to the rule.

The first mention of dog fighting dates back to 1300 BC, in amphitheaters dogs fought alongside gladiators - both against each other and against humans or other species of animals. It was the Romans who brought the first large breeds of dogs to the territory of modern Great Britain. And you know those Englishmen – they will turn anything into gambling.

Dog fights take place all over the globe, from Russia to South Africa and from Japan to Brazil, but they never became a major industry. In most countries, this fun is carried out almost exclusively among dog owners - they are both spectators and participants in the competition, and they also place bets by making bets with each other.

Almost everywhere, dog fighting is prohibited, if not by gambling legislation, then by regulations aimed at protecting animal rights.

In the United States, dog fighting has become a favorite pastime for members of African-American gangs. Among dark-skinned gangsters, owning a large pit bull has become a common practice, as has wearing a heavy gold chain over one's clothing.

Cricket fights

The Chinese have gone the furthest in developing fights between animals. They created the cricket fighting industry. Insects reproduce very quickly, so breeders can breed fighting breeds. This type of blood sport appeared more than 1000 years ago, during the Tang Dynasty.

Nowadays, cricket fights are held in almost every hotel in Macau, the only official gambling zone in the PRC. This city even has a museum dedicated to this type of gambling. Each visitor is invited to place a bet on the outcome of the match, amounts up to 1000 patacas ($125 – ed.).

Although China has an official cricket sports association, under whose auspices national-level championships are held, betting is officially prohibited. Therefore, there is a huge illegal industry in the country, the volume of which experts estimate at $63 million in Shanghai alone.

Although cricket fighting is considered a “blood” sport, insects rarely inflict even minor injuries on each other. To anger the male, the owner of the insect hits him with a small stick or shakes the container the fighter is in before entering the ring. The loser is the cricket that is the first to run away or avoid aggressive actions towards its opponent.

Hog-dog rodeo

If in ancient times fights between different types animals were very popular, only a few types of such competitions have survived to this day. The most famous of them is Hog-dog rodeo - literally “boar versus dog rodeo”.

This fun simulates a dog hunt for a wild boar in the ring; as a rule, both special breeds of dogs and special breeds of pigs are raised and trained for rodeo. Hog dog rodeo is not considered a "blood sport" because in most cases the dog takes control of the pig without any physical contact, using psychological superiority. Sometimes, to increase spectator interest, the dog must take the pig by the ears with its teeth, but there is no blood here either, and the animals are immediately separated by the judge.

In most cases, the dogs win the moment the boar stops. Bets are placed on the time it will take the dog to stop the pig and on which dog will be able to do it faster. It is very popular in the USA, especially in the state of Louisiana, where it is considered almost a national sport.

Sports betting

In addition to racing and fighting, there are other sports that can be classified as exotic. Just like some bets on ordinary sports can shock the civilized man in the street.

Jaialai

This game is considered the fastest team sport with a ball, the speed of the projectile can reach 270 km/h, more than after serving the best masters in tennis. Jai-alai is played in a room covered with walls on all sides except one - there is a net through which spectators watch the competition. The player's task is to catch the ball in one movement and send it to the wall. If he fails, he is eliminated and the next player takes his place. The ball is caught and kicked using a special wicker scoop, a “pelota,” tied to the player’s hand.

The game was invented by the Basques, one of the peoples inhabiting modern Spain. Therefore, Jai Alai spread throughout the world along with the conquistadors. But it gained a foothold and gained great popularity only in the Philippines and the USA.

Like horse racing, the sport is all about the money involved, not the competition itself. Therefore, in the state of Florida, the clubs in which the games took place were equated to casinos, where they placed bets and played poker. The clubs were called that way, for example, “Jai Alai and Poker in Hamilton” (Hamilton Jai Alai and Poker).

After the state of Florida, where almost all Americans come for summer vacations, began to allow other gambling, the jai alai industry fell into a deep crisis. Therefore, local legislators were forced in 2003 to pass the law HB 1059, changing the rules for regulating poker and sports betting, allowing these types of gambling only in conjunction with Jai Alai in order to preserve the halls intended for this sport.

During the heyday of Jai Alai's popularity, in the 1970s and 1980s, arenas for this game opened in the most prestigious casinos in Las Vegas and Reno.

African rates

We are used to the fact that the Dark Continent is simply overflowing with exotic things. But not in gambling - here Africans give preference to traditional entertainment that came from Europe. Of course, some tribes practice their own gambling, but most local players bet on English Premier League matches. English football is like a religion here - don’t be surprised if you go to a match of the national championship of Nigeria or Cameroon and see empty stands and streets. It’s just that a match of the English Championship is being broadcast on TV, and all the local spectators are sitting in front of the TV - almost every one of them has made a bet.

And the stakes here are the most exotic. European and American readers were shocked last year by a publication about a certain Henry Dhabasani from Uganda, who bet his car and wife on Arsenal's victory over Manchester United.

It should not be surprising that Henry has three wives and five children, and in Africa such bets are par for the course. Locals in poor countries don't have a lot of cash, so they bet their wives or children on soccer teams to win.

Uterus or Satta

The Indians came up with a very interesting game - they combined lottery and sports betting, essentially creating new genre gambling. In the 1960s, Bombay (today this city is called Mumbai) was experiencing a boom in light industry, the work of enterprises was very dependent on world cotton prices.

In the early 1960s, gamblers bet on the price of cotton at the opening and closing of the Bombay Cotton Exchange. Later the exchange moved to another area - Serai, and received prices for cotton from the New York Cotton Exchange. But in 1961, the exchange stopped sending prices for cotton and gamblers did not know what to bet on. Then a certain Kalyanji Bhagat proposed his own rules of the game - and thus Matka was born (in some parts of India the game is called Satta).

He suggested gambling on the prices of fictitious goods. Before the start of the game, gamblers wrote their numbers on pieces of paper, which were folded into a large jug called a matka, which gave the name to the game itself. Then everyone made bets, one of the players took one or more pieces of paper from the jug and the numbers written on it were declared winning. Later, playing cards were also used to determine winning numbers.

The game of matka has always been illegal in India; the Mumbai authorities waged such a fierce fight against it that over time, most of the underground establishments moved to neighboring cities and provinces. Matka's popularity peaked in the 1980s; in our time, this game has lost the palm to cricket betting in India. But even now there are thousands of illegal gambling establishments operating in the country, where local residents and tourists can place a bet in this game.

Board and carnival games

All over the world, fairs and carnivals have long been the main venue for gambling. The peasant worked hard in the field all year and only at a major holiday or trade event could he relax and gamble for money. Therefore the majority board games in the world is somehow connected with large holiday carnivals or fairs.

Very often, the organizers of such games were scammers, giving rise to a whole genre of games that cannot be called pure gambling - after all, victory does not depend on luck or chance, but on the sleight of hand of the organizer. In our country, the most popular version of this game is the famous “thimbles” - the player must guess under which of three thimbles (cups, glasses, matchboxes) the ball is located. In most other countries and cultures, the essence of the game is the same - you need to choose one option out of three, although the form may differ. And sometimes there is real exoticism.

Razzle-Dazzle

The game Razzle-Dazzle is especially popular at fairs and carnivals in English-speaking countries. The name of the game itself has become a household word - this word now denotes loud fun, noisy fun or a successful combination in team ball games.

In front of the player is a field with holes, each of them is marked with a number (usually ranging from 1 to 6, but variations may occur). The player takes a glass and throws balls from it onto the playing field, each of them falls into a hole, the dealer counts the sum of the numbers that mark the occupied holes. Depending on the amount accumulated, the player receives winning points according to a special table. The dependence here is non-linear, for example, for 44 you can get 5 bonus points, for 31 - 10 points, and for 52 - 1 point. But not every amount can bring at least one winning point.

Typically, a player needs to accumulate a certain amount of bonus points in order to claim a cash or valuable prize. Any number of players can take part in the game at the same time - one throws the balls, and everyone else bets on its result.

Razzle Dazzle is very popular in Cuba and New Orleans, especially during carnivals and holidays. The American press often contains devastating articles and journalistic investigations telling how Louisiana state police suddenly lose their sight as soon as they approach a tent with Razl-Dazl.

Fan Tam

And in China, they play either traditional mahjong or Fan Tam at the table. Mahjong has long ceased to be exotic - sets for this game are sold in bookstores around the world. But in the West, mahjong is rarely played for money, although in China itself the volume of illegal bets in this game is estimated at 1 trillion yuan.

Fan Tam is the most simplified version of playing mahjong for money. The dealer pours out some small objects, the total number of which is known to the players (unlike classic mahjong, where special chips are used, there can be buttons, beans, and even grains of rice), and divides them in half using a wooden stick or knife. Players place bets on how many items are on the left side. The one who names the exact number or makes the smallest mistake wins.

The Chinese believe that men who play Fang Tam well are the most passionate and ardent lovers. Therefore, the winners receive not only a cash prize, but also attention from the fairer sex.

Two-Up

The coin game, based on guessing heads or tails, is popular all over the world. Of course, to play you need the same item as for betting. But the Australians went the furthest in the development of this type of gambling entertainment, inventing the game Two-Up, which became a national pastime.

The dealer, called a spinner, throws two coins into the air at once, and players place bets on three possible outcomes - two heads, two tails, or one head and one tail.

The game was very popular among Australian soldiers who took part in the First and Second World Wars. Therefore, it has now become an obligatory attribute of the celebration of AnzacDay (ANZAC - Australian and New Zealand Corps, this was the name of the unit that glorified itself in the bloody battles of the First World War), the day when all of Australia remembers its veterans and pays tribute to those killed in wars.

Death bets

Public morality and traditions of Western society condemn even idle talk about death, not to mention gambling and betting. The global death betting industry annually turns over hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars, but it is customary to remain silent about this.

It all started in the middle of the 20th century in the USA, at the Indianapolis 500 Mile race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, Indy 500 or The 500. In the middle of the last century, so many racers died during the competition that bookmakers began to accept bets not only on the athlete’s place at the finish line, but also on the likelihood of his death. Later, bets on the death of an athlete began to be accepted in other dangerous sports. And in the 21st century, during the development of online gambling, many sites appeared offering to bet on the death of a celebrity.

Lawmakers defended public morality and banned betting on celebrity deaths at the federal level. But criminal organizations are known to not follow laws, which is why the death betting industry is still thriving in America. Typically, such bets are accepted on websites where gamblers are asked to determine which celebrity will die before the end of the year. For small bets (usually $1–5), the prize amount can reach $3000.

Let's sum it up

The history of gambling originates in the same place as the entire history of mankind. People played always and everywhere, but government authorities forbade them to do so. But the more officials impose bans, the more interesting it is for the average person to place bets. The opportunity to touch something illegal, to go down to the basement where only “our own people” are allowed in to watch a cockfight or a cockroach race is already interesting. And if you can also try your luck there, make a bet or two, then the success of the enterprise is guaranteed.

Attitude to religion, as well as belonging to a certain culture, does not in any way affect interest in gambling. They place bets on the rooster in the courtyards of communist Cuba, and in the closed premises of a teahouse in Muslim Pakistan, and in concert hall capitalist Mexico.

And at holiday fairs, the distinction between the customs of different cultures is completely erased. MardiGrs in New Orleans are well aware that the people who secretly invite them to play for money at an illegal tent are most likely just regular scammers. This is also known to the Hindu who goes down to the basement where the matka draw is being held. Yes, and tourists walking around Paris and receiving an invitation to “guess the card” are unlikely to flatter themselves with hopes of a fair game.

But the process itself, more reminiscent of the secret shamanic ritual that accompanies most exotic games, captivates people so much that they are ready to take risks. They are ready to pay their money simply for participation in this sacrament, for the opportunity to touch something mysterious and forbidden.

IN modern world, where gambling, as well as other areas of our lives, are gradually moving online, some exotic species Gambling remains the few entertainments that allow us to experience the same sensations that our ancestors experienced throughout human history.

It is therefore not surprising that many particularly exotic types of bets are gaining popularity in the richest and most developed countries.