3Gambling in Ancient Civilizations: Simple forms of betting can be found in ancient civilizations such as Greece, Rome and China. Dice games, wrestling and sports competitions were popular forms of betting. 17th Century - Origin of Casinos: However, casinos as we know them today only really took shape in the 17th century in Europe. In 1638, Venice (Italy) opened its first legal casino, called Il Ridotto. This was the first place to organize gambling games with rules and controlled by the government. The original purpose of Il Ridotto was to entertain nobles during official festivals.
